This page is background information, last updated in May 2002 and still available for reference. For the latest on the Special Session on Children, please go to the Special Session index.

Press kit

Issues & Information
Birth Registration

During the 1990s, recognition grew that prompt birth registration is an essential means of protecting a child’s right to an identity – and that vast numbers of children in developing countries lack this basic protection. While a far higher proportion of births are now registered than a decade ago, two out of every five babies are still without proof of birth, totalling over 50 million children every year.

This ‘ticket to citizenship’ is a tenet of international law. Beginning with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reiterated in 10 subsequent international agreements, every child’s right to an
official identity is unequivocally clear.

Birth registration is the first step towards recognizing a child’s inalienable rights as a human being. Without proof of birth, children are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and as adults may be denied the rights of a citizen. In some countries, children without a birth certificate cannot receive vaccinations or enrol in school; as adults, they cannot get married, open a bank account, acquire a passport or vote. Proof of age is critical to protecting children from child labour or premature enlistment in the armed forces. Child traffickers typically prey on children who are difficult to trace, putting unregistered children in refugee camps or in conflict-torn areas at great risk.

Birth registration is also critical to the functioning of every nation. Every government requires accurate data on births. Countries that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights agreements are committed to registering children at birth. National birth registration systems provide vital data countries need for planning and policy development, for monitoring the situation of children and allocating resources.

Many obstacles to universal birth registration have been addressed. Mobilization campaigns have strengthened public demand for birth registration and registration fees have been eliminated, registration procedures simplified and laws updated, such as ending the requirement that parents present their own identity papers. Consequently, many more children are being registered _ and disparities within countries are diminishing.

The United Nations, national governments and civil society organizations have taken the lead. The United Nations Statistical Division, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, national governments and a range of civil society organizations have worked together to push for changes in laws, to build or improve civil registry systems and to strengthen public demand for birth registration.

Two out of every five babies still go without proof of birth; in sub-Saharan Africa, only about one of every four births is registered. Children without proof of birth lack the essential protection that stems from this legal form of identity. A major effort is needed to achieve universal birth registration.

Where birth registration systems fail because of systematic bias, special efforts are required. Hundreds of thousands of children are stateless because of discrimination against women or against particular ethnic, religious or minority groups.