2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Characteristics of the civil registration and vital event to be registered

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Two parts –Essential features of a functioning civil registration system –Vital events to be registered Presentation parts

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Essential characteristics of civil registration: - Universality Registering all events For all areas and subdivision For population temporarily abroad - Continuity Constant recording not limited by time - Permanence Existence of a stable administration - Compulsory nature Compliance, enforcement, penalties - incentives Essential features – functioning civil registration

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Necessary features (components) –Law –Civil administration infrastructure –Population participation –Service to the public –Ensuring confidentiality –Checks and balances Essential features – functioning civil registration

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Provisions on: Definitions of events Civil registration infrastructure –Uniformity –Confidentiality –Develop guidelines –Overseeing Sphere of competence –Events to nationals Essential features – Law

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Essential features – Law Provisions on: Registers of births, deaths, marriages and divorces Amendment of records and proof of registration Statistical reports Inspection and penalties Funding

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Re-visiting the law Initiating ad-hoc committee consisting of –Major users Law practices Statistics Public health Electoral administration Education and planning Public at large –Producers Registrars –Goal Assess the suitability of current provisions Meeting the needs of public, use of contemporary technologies Essential features – Law

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Centralized system Central agency –Directing –Coordinating –Monitoring –Administrative and technical direction –Inter-governmental coordination Decentralized system Major civil division level –Harmonization –Uniformity Essential features – Civil administration infrastructure

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Local registrar Crucial component of the system Full time employment Civil servant Legal knowledge Responsibilities –Recording registrable events –Compliance with the law –Checks accuracy of data –Preservation and custody of records –Interaction with the public –Statistical reports –Certified copies –Maintain confidentiality Essential features – Civil administration infrastructure

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Local registrar support Registrar handbook Mini-handbooks for specific topics Newsletters Training National associations Local registrar support Oversight Essential features – Civil administration infrastructure

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Another crucial link Necessity of documents Mandatory reporting and enforcement Public campaigns Midwives, pamphlets in hospitals Village meetings Schools Local registrar –Letter of congratulations –Letter of condolences –Incentives Essential features – Population participation

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Diversified services Keeping the records Issuing certified copies Facilitating access Research, scholars List of favorite (most frequent) names Apply new technologies Essential features – Service to public

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 A must Ensuring non-disclosure of information Procedures Physical protection Backup protection Time lag for releasing the records Defining the authorized persons Essential features – Ensuring confidentiality

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Continuous As part of regular civil administration procedures –Inspectors –Overseers –Public complaint mechanisms –Quality control (in detail elaborated tomorrow, pls. see agenda) Essential features – Ensuring confidentiality

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Essential features – Vital events Live birth Extraction or expulsion Product of conception Breathes or shows evidence of life Duration of pregnancy irrelevant “Foetal death” Death prior to the complete expulsion “early foetal deaths” – less than 20 weeks “intermediate foetal deaths” – 20 – 28 weeks “late foetal deaths” – 28 weeks or more

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Essential features – Vital events Death Permanent disappearance of life Marriage Act, ceremony, process Legal relationship Civil, religious or other Divorce Final dissolution of a marriage Annulment I nvalidation or voiding of a marriage Never been married to each other

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 Judicial separation Disunion of married couple Adoption Legal and voluntary taking and treating a child as one’s one Legitimation Formally investing a person with the status on child born in wedlock Recognition Legal acknowledgment of the maternity and paternity of the child Essential features – Vital events

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 United Nations puts a high priority on developing systems to register Live Birth Foetal death Death Marriage Divorce Essential features – Vital events

2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, December 2007 International standards and guidelines National circumstances One of workshop goals: assessing the implementation in ESCWA region Formulate a plan to improve Establish milestones Essential features – Summary