Ministers and senior officials from across the Asia-Pacific region wrapped up the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Bangkok, pledging to ensure that every birth is registered and every death is recorded by 2030. The renewed commitment marks a bold extension of the region’s CRVS Decade initiative, first launched in 2014, into a new phase that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Target 16.9 on legal identity for all.

Hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, the three-day event on 24 - 26 June, convened leaders from key sectors—health, justice, planning, statistics, and digital innovation, to advance CRVS systems across the region. The multi-sectoral nature of the effort was underscored by partners such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, CDC Foundation, Child Rights Coalition Asia, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, IOM, Pacific Community, Plan International, Statistics Norway, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, Vital Strategies, WHO, World Bank, World Vision and Global Financing Facility. 

ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana highlighted the human dimension at stake: “Everyone counts. Data saves lives, legal identity is a right, not a privilege. No one should be left behind – simply because they were never counted in the first place.”

During the conference, a new Ministerial Declaration was adopted, charting a regional roadmap toward universal, inclusive, and digitally robust CRVS systems capable of withstanding crises and reaching marginalized groups. Governments committed to strengthening workforce capacity, expanding outreach, and enhancing cause-of-death reporting through verbal autopsies and certification reforms. The declaration also underscored the importance of marriage registration and the critical role of civil registration in promoting gender equality and effective governance. Looking to 2030, the pledge reinforces legal identity as a fundamental right and a pillar of sustainable development.

Find more information about the conference and its outcomes at the Conference webpage.