1. 1 United Nations Expert Group Meeting on International Standards for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems 27-30 June 2011, New York, USA Civil Registration System Genene Bizuneh African Development Bank and African Centre for Statistics, UNECA

2. 2 Outline A. Background B. Review of the Current Principles and Recommendations in Reference to Civil Registration System C. Experience and Lessons Learnt from the African Region D. Way Forward

3. 3 1953 Principles  Principles and recommendations only – 28 pages size  Operational guidelines followed – in 1955 (though not primarily meant to serve as implementation guideline for the principles)  Civil registration taken as the sole data source for vital statistics  No complementary or interim methods considered  No principles and recommendations for civil registration  No operational guidelines for civil registration Versions of principles and recommendations

4. 4 1973 version – first revision  Principles, recommendations and guidelines for vital statistics in one volume  Difficult to identify the principles and recommendations from the guidelines  Additional guidelines on vital statistics in separate volumes followed  Civil registration considered as the primary and preferred source for vital statistics  Complementary and interim methods considered  No principles, recommendations and guidelines for civil registration Versions of principles and recommendations … Cont’d

5. 5 2001 version – 2 nd revision  Principles, recommendations and guidelines for vital statistics in one volume  Difficult to identify the principles and recommendations from the guidelines  Guidelines on civil registration and vital statistics in series of volumes followed  Civil registration considered as the primary and preferred source for vital statistics  Complementary and interim methods considered  No principles and recommendations for civil registration Versions of principles and recommendations … Cont’d

6. 6 Concluding points:-  Difficult to isolate principles and recommendations from guidelines (after 1953)  Civil registration systems not supported with international principles and recommendations  There are no full-fledged international operational guidelines for civil registration systems  No regional operational guidelines for the implementation of the international principles and recommendations Versions of principles and recommendations … Cont’d

7. 7 General:  Censuses and surveys follow enumeration method and civil registration – registration method – the P&R confuses registration and administrative methods – vital statistics is considered as by-product of an administrative process  Enumeration and administrative methods do not fulfill vital statistics principles: universal coverage, continuity, confidentiality and regular dissemination – not properly appraised in the P&R  Delineation of responsibilities not properly addressed in the P&R  Collection and forwarding of vital statistics records – under the jurisdiction of legal function and  Analysis and dissemination – under the statistics function  Role of statistics in the legal function not properly addressed Review of the Current P&R in Reference to Civil Registration System

8. 8 Definitions of recommended vital events  Definitions given largely from statistics perspective  Need for a harmonized concept and definition – considering legal, administrative and statistics perspectives  “Service provision” not properly addressed in the definition of civil registration Review of the Current P&R in … Cont’d

9. 9 Characteristics of civil registration method  Civil registration method – if a statistical concept, how does non-statisticians (registrars) understand it?  Civil registration method = a technique for accomplishing legal, administrative and statistical functions of CRVS systems – not properly addressed in the P&R  Para. starting 323 are outside the characteristics of civil registration method Review of the Current P&R in … Cont’d

10. 10 Other Issues  P&R do not show civil registration institutional and infrastructural integration and interface with other public organs – assumes establishing standalone civil registration offices in every local minor division (starting para. 353)  Suggests different scales of payments for registration of vital events (para 393) – however irrespective of the time period registration should be free  Civil registration and vital statistics operational modalities in federal government systems not addressed sufficiently Review of the Current P&R in … Cont’d

11. 11  Need to develop international Principles and Recommendations for civil registration  Regional UN commissions to prepare regional operational guidelines and manuals for civil registration and vital statistics  Causes of death recording and processing need to be comprehensively addressed in the P&R  Role of international and regional stakeholders in supporting the implementation of the P&R need to be defined, specifically UN regional commissions Experience and lessons learnt from the African region

12. 12  Misconception in most national statistics offices of considering vital statistics as a by- product of civil registration system need to change;  Role of national statistics in improving civil registration need to be defined;  National statistics offices should orient their plans and activities towards long-term and sustainable vital statistics data source (need for an exit strategy) Experience and lessons learnt from the African region … Cont’d

13. 13 Way Forward  Principles/ recommandations and guidelines need to be separated  Complementary and interim vital statistics data sources need to be annexes  A country working on improving its CRVS systems should abort all complementary and interim vital statistics data sources except including fertility and mortality questions in census and inter-censal sample surveys (refer chapter 6)  Revision of principles and recommendations on vital statistics need to be a joint responsibility of civil registration and vital statistics experts.  Preparation of principles and recommendations on civil registration need to be led jointly by civil registration and vital statistics experts

14. 14 Thank you