UNICEF and the European Union join forces to strengthen the birth registration system in Chad

N’Djamena, Chad, 10 August 2022 – On Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day, UNICEF Chad and the European Union Delegation in the Republic of Chad announce the launch of a major programme to strengthen birth registration in five provinces of Chad (Batha, Guera, Mandoul, Mayo Kebbi East and Mayo Kebbi West).

Despite the efforts by the government and partners, the birth registration rate in Chad remains very low. According to the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey - MICS-6, nearly 78% of children under one year of age and 74% of children under five years of age are not registered, leaving more than 4 million children under five years of age without legal existence.

The project, for a total budget of €2.8 million over three years, is part of the overall framework of the European Union-funded Governance Support Programme (PAG 2), which aims to consolidate the rule of law and democratic institutions in Chad, and more specifically to strengthen the State's capacity to improve and promote the civil registration system, local governance and community development. This project will aim to strengthen the supply and demand for civil registration services, including birth registration by health staff in maternity wards and immunization services, and the use of mobile phones as an innovation to facilitate this process.

" Without a birth certificate, children cannot prove their identity, their family ties, their nationality," UNICEF Representative to Chad Jacques Boyer explained. "They are more vulnerable to violations of their rights, such as marriage or child labour.  The right to an identity is a fundamental right and we are committed, together with the Government and our partners, to ensure its respect. We are very grateful to the European Union for its support through this project which will guarantee this right to several hundred thousand children in Chad”.

"The European Union has a long-standing commitment to supporting the civil registration sector in Chad along with the government and its partners. I welcome this new partnership with UNICEF to strengthen birth registration system, which still faces many challenges and is essential for child protection and access of citizens to fundamental rights," Kurt Cornelis, Ambassador of the European Union to Chad, said.

UNICEF supports the government in the modernization of its civil registry system to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular target 16.9, which states: "By 2030, ensure legal identity for all, especially through birth registration”.  The main components include the reform of the legal and institutional framework, the development of the roadmap for accelerating universal birth registration by 2030 in Chad, the implementation of interoperability between the health system and civil registry services for the registration of births in maternity wards and immunization services, as well as the training of civil registrars and agents.