Vanuatu published its first vital statistics report based on administrative data. This report presents data and statistics on live births and deaths that occurred in Vanuatu between 2012 and 2014, drawn from civil registration and health records. This report is part of the commitments made by the Government of Vanuatu towards universal registration of births and deaths, legal identification, and production of vital statistics from registration records. The report was drafted by the Vanuatu Department of Health and Department of Statistics, namely Jimmy Tamkela Tomoyan, Social Statistics Officer, Department of Statistics, Rachel Takoa, Health Information System Manager, Department of Health, Lester Dingly, Health Information System Officer, Department of Health, and Vinau Sahe, Social Statistics Officer, Department of Statistics, with assistance from Gloria Mathenge and Karen Carter of SPC. Support from ESCAP was made as part of a project to strengthen the National Capacity in Producing and Disseminating Vital Statistics funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative.

Articles Philippines: 2018 Civil Registration Month Celebrations New World Bank publications on civil registration Events Seminar on National/International CRVS Best Practices,  09 April 2018, Islamabad, Pakistan Training of Trainers Workshop on CRVS eLearning Course, 10-19 April 2018, Windhoek, Namibia 74th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 11-16 May 2018, Bangkok, Thailand *For other issues of the newsletter

As part of the Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative, the World Bank Group addresses technical aspects of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) in four recent publications. 1. The Technology Landscape For Digital Identification: The report provides an overview of current and emerging technology trends in digital identity. An outline of the quickly evolving technology landscape is given, highlighting key benefits and challenges of current technology choices. 2. The Role of Digital Identification for Healthcare: The report stresses the importance of digital identification systems for effective delivery of health services and public health management. Selected examples of existent digital identification systems and their usage in healthcare are analyzed, and key considerations for future implementations are proposed. 3. Integrating Unique ID Numbers in Civil Registration: The report examines mechanisms for incorporating unique identification numbers in civil registration. Civil registration systems are reviewed and the necessary practical steps required to ensure that the identity of a person can be established and trusted certificates attesting civil status can be issued are outlined. 4. Incentives for Improving Birth Registration Coverages: Incentives for improving birth registration coverage rates are reviewed based on empirical literature and examples from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The report focuses on the effects of social transfer programs, such as cash transfers, in increasing birth registration coverage. The above publications are also available on the ID4D website.

This information note, developed by ESCAP with support from the Regional Steering Group for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific and other partners, highlights the connection between civil registration and voter registration. Civil registries can provide the most current data for voter lists, critical cost-savings for electoral management bodies, while supporting inclusiveness, accuracy and election legitimacy. Civil registry data is the most advantageous method of compiling voter registration data, and the best way that governments can ensure they are getting every voter in the picture.