Newsletter April 2024

In 2024, over 70 countries are set to hold elections across the world, including countries in Asia and the Pacific such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Russia. For eligible citizens to be included in voter lists, countries need to ensure accurate and credible voter registration is in place. Civil registration and identity management is an integral structural support for voter registration, as Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems not only secure an individual’s legal identity and the resulting human rights, but also supports the collection of voter information.

In the Asia-Pacific region, 15 countries rely solely on population or civil registries, while a further eight countries create voter registration lists through a combination of register data and efforts by electoral management bodies. However, many citizens are still left out due to lack of required identification documents as their existence has never been recognized through birth registration.

In Vanuatu, electoral and civil registration authorities, supported by UNDP/Vanuatu Electoral Environment Project (VEEP), funded by the Government of New Zealand, to digitally transform the civil registration system into new Integrated Identity Management System with an aim to produce accurate and credible voter lists. 

The collaborative efforts to improve CRVS goes beyond Vanuatu. ESCAP and UNDP are working with partners to support governments in achieving the shared regional vision of universal and responsive CRVS systems that facilitate the realization of their rights, support good governance, health and development. 

Read the full blog here.