Count me In! The Global Campaign for Universal Birth Registration

A new report published by Plan International on Universal Children's Day reveals that at present, no records exist of the birth of six of every ten babies born in South Asia. In sub-Saharan Africa the births of 55 per cent of all children go unrecorded every year..

Supporting the launch of Plan’s report on its global birth registration campaign, entitled Count me in! Archbishop Tutu called on governments to give greater urgency to making universal birth registration a reality:

“Count me in! makes me very proud. As a result of Plan’s campaign another five million children around the world now have a formal identity. But much more remains to be done. Governments must take proper responsibility for registering children. An unregistered child loses out on many rights and we cannot allow this any longer.”

His remarks follow one of the main recommendations in the recent UN Violence against Children Study which urged countries to develop national birth registration systems.

Tom Miller, Plan’s chief executive said: “It is a matter of life and death for children. Those without birth certificates are more vulnerable to traffickers and during disasters. They are also more likely to grow up without education, health care and civil rights.”

The report argues for a global response to the issue of unregistered children. Plan is now pushing for the establishment of international guidelines for achieving universal birth registration. These would ensure better coordination and create much-needed political commitment.

But substantial progress has been made according to the new study. Major achievements of Plan’s UBR campaign to date include:

• Policy and legislative changes in ten countries, with a further 21 countries working towards change. In Sierra Leone birth certificates can now be issued to children aged between seven and 18.
• 11 countries have reduced costs for registration, issuing of certificates and retrospective fees. In Bolivia birth registration is now free for children up to 12.
• The recognition of Plan as a leading global authority on birth registration and its development of nine key best practice strategies for boosting registration rates

“We have come a long way,” added Tom Miller. “Our campaign has helped push birth registration up the political agenda but we must continue fighting to give this issue the recognition it deserves. “It is a question of child rights. The 192 states which have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the child must provide an effective birth registration system in their countries.”

Notes:

1. Birth registration helps identify and protect marginalised children. In the light of today’s massive population movements and organised child trafficking, birth registration is more essential than ever.

2. The births of an estimated 48 million children go unregistered every year.

3. Plan’s UBR campaign was launched on the 22 February 2005 at the UN headquarters in New York by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Plan chief executive Tom Miller.

4. Plan’s UBR campaign website is at www.writemedown.org

Further information

• Count me in!
• Plan's work on Universal Birth Registration
• 4th Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference on Universal Birth Registration (March 2006)
• Plan: Global Guidelines and Strategies for Universal Birth Registration (february 2006)