1. Civil Registration Process: Place, Time, Cost, Late Registration
Brisbane Accord Group
Session 7. Institutional arrangements for civil registration and interface with the vital statistics system
Civil Registration Process: Place, Time, Cost, Late Registration
UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION
Workshop on the Operation of Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems for South American Countries
30 October – 3 November 2017
Bogota, Colombia
with

2. Primary purpose – establishing documents provided by law
Civil registration
Civil registration is
Continuous
Permanent
Compulsory, and
Universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events pertaining to the population
As provided through law, decree or regulation in accordance with the legal requirements of the country
Primary purpose – establishing documents provided by law
Secondary purpose – ideal source of vital statistics

3. Civil registration method
Refers to the procedure employed in gathering the basic information on the incidence and characteristics of vital events that occur in the population of the country
Upon which the preparation of vital records with legal value
And the production of vital statistics is based
Mandated by law
Civil registration system
Institutional, legal and technical settings needed for the performance of civil registration functions in a technical, sound, coordinated and standardized manner
Functions include
Recording vital events
Storing, safekeeping and retrieval of vital records
Protection of confidentiality
Issuing certificates and other customer service
Reporting information on vital events for statistical purposes
Providing information to other government agencies, such as ministry of health, population registers, pension funds systems, electoral services, personal identification services etc.

4. Fundamental role of the civil registration system
Provision of legal instruments to individuals, that is, registering the occurrence of acts and events that constitute the source of civil status and issuing certificates
Facts relating to existence
Identity
Civil status
Family status
Legal and protective function
Legal identity
Human rights
Directly linked to registration, such as the right to be registered and to have a name, as per Article 7 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child
Derived from the fact that the person is registered, such as the right to vote, pursuant to article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Administrative advantages
Access to services
Statistical advantages

5. Civil registration models
Centralized administration for civil registration
One agency dedicated to administering civil registration
Advantages
Uniformity of procedures throughout the country, standard legal framework
Uniform interpretation and enforcement of norms and regulations
More efficient interoperability with other government agencies, such as the identity management
Direct and effective control over the entire system
Facilitates and streamlines training and technical support
In terms of interoperability with statistical function
Separate agencies – one for civil registration and the other for statistical function
Coordination is of critical interest – Inter-agency Committee is invaluable
Memorandum of agreement – another option
Flow of data – procedures and protocols
Single agency for both civil registration and vital statistics

6. Civil registration models
Decentralized administration for civil registration
More than one model
Civil registration is administered by municipal government – uniform legal framework, content, forms (Europe)
Civil registration is administered by states or provinces – harmonization at the national level (Canada, US)
Other combinations
Major considerations
Ensuring uniformity of procedures throughout the country
Uniformity of legal framework
Harmonization at national level
Rules for recognition of different certificates
Statistical component

7. Civil registration models
Principles for coordination
Uniform legislation and regulations
Identical definitions of vital events
Statistical concepts, classifications and definitions
Consistency between the numerator and denominator
Implementation of international standards
Inter-agency coordination committee
Coordination within the system
Communication (conferences, workshops, training courses …)
Evaluation
Professional association (statisticians/registrars/health workers)

8. Civil registration models
In terms of institutional arrangements the following variants have to be elaborated:
Civil registration, population registers and vital statistics
Civil registration, identity management and vital statistics
In detail under session 12