Birth registration: the first step to securing a child’s future

In Timor-Leste, many children under the age of five are still not registered at birth and therefore do not have an official birth certificate. In Viqueque municipality, the number of unregistered children remains particularly high compared to other parts of the country.  Based on Timor Leste Demographic and Health Survey (TLDHS) 2026, only 34.5% of children under the age of 5 in the country have a birth certificate, with coverage in Viqueque as low as 36%. 

Without a birth certificate, children lack an official identity and may face difficulties accessing essential services and exercising their rights. 

The Government of Timor-Leste has made significant efforts to ensure that every child is registered with civil registration authorities and receives a birth certificate. The birth registration system has been established and has been functioning in in all municipalities for many years. 

Despite this progress, challenges remain. Many families live far from the registration office, making access difficult. Others may not fully understand the importance of birth registration or face financial and cultural barriers. In a country increasingly affected by climate-related hazards such as floods, droughts, and tropical storms, birth registration is also an important component of climate resilience. Children with legal identity are more likely to be included in emergency response, social protection programmes, education services, and disaster recovery efforts. Ensuring that every child is registered helps governments better identify, protect, and support vulnerable children before, during, and after climate-related shocks. 

With support from the Government of Korea through its international aid agency KOICA, UNICEF and the Government of Timor-Leste have expanded birth registration services across the country. Through the Ministry of Justice, mobile birth registration campaigns are bringing services closer to communities, with a focus on registering children aged between 0 and 5 years. These campaigns are especially important for families living in rural areas and help save valuable time for parents, many of whom work as farmers. 

In June 2026, the Ministry of Justice carried out a campaign in Viqueque municipality, reaching families at the administrative post level. This initiative has made registration services more accessible for rural communities by reducing the need to travel long distances to municipal offices. Among those attending the campaign was Fortunata Maria da Costa, 25, mother of two children. She brought her youngest child, a baby girl named Zelania , who is one year and three months old, to be registered. Mother Fortunata’s first child has already been registered, but Zelania has not yet. She does not have to travel far, and the process is simple and accessible for families in rural areas like hers. For Fortunata, the mobile campaign made a significant difference. The registration point was close to her home, making the process simple, affordable, and accessible.

“I got information about the birth registration campaign in Ossu from my sister, who told me about it. She had already registered her two year old son and encouraged me to register my baby girl as well. Her advice motivated me to come and complete the process for my daughter,” said Fortunata.

Registering Zelania was a moment of relief and pride. She knew that obtaining a birth certificate would provide her daughter with an official identity and help protect her rights. 

“Since the birth registration services have been brought closer to us here in Ossu, I decided that it is better to register my baby girl now. This way, we don’t need to spend time traveling all the way to the municipality office. As farmers, we are busy every day working in the field, so having the service nearby makes it much easier for us,” Fortunata adds.

Fortunata says, “A birth certificate from the government is very important because it will be used in the future when my daughter is enrolled in school. I want my children to go to school so they can become smart and have a better future. I decided on my own to register my daughter during this campaign. Birth registration is the only way to receive this document from the government, and it is very important because the birth certificate protects my children.”
She adds. “From my home to the registration point, I rode a public bus, making it affordable.”

Fortunata submits several supporting documents to the birth registration campaign team. These include a copy of her and her baby’s baptism certificate from the Church, a copy of the parents’ identity card (kartaun eleitor). These documents are used as evidence to cross check and confirm the names of her baby girl and the parents.

Now, Zelania is registered and has her birth certificate, giving her an official identity and opening the door to education, healthcare, and protection of her rights and future opportunities.

To ensure that every child has a legal identity, the Ministry of Justice is bringing birth registration services closer to families like Zelania’s through community-based outreach and mobile registration campaigns.

The process begins with a two-day training programme for community leaders and health workers from administrative posts. During the training, participants learn how to raise awareness about the importance of birth registration, assist parents in completing registration forms, and use the birth notification form included in.

They learn about the LISIO book, a Mother and Child Health Handbook, which is especially useful for mothers who give birth in health facilities. It also explains the birth declaration process, which requires signatures from local authorities when mothers give birth at home.

The training aims to equip participants with the knowledge needed to guide and support community members throughout the process until their children receive their birth certificates. 

Following the training, the Ministry of Justice conducts mobile birth registration campaigns in close collaboration with municipal focal points, local authorities, and UNICEF. These campaigns bring registration services directly to communities with low birth registration rates, making it easier for parents, especially those in remote areas, to register their children without travelling long distances. 

Fortunata says that she “hopes to see this mobile campaign continuing in the future so that every child has a chance to be registered.”
 

“The reason we carry out birth registration campaigns is to give parents direct access to register their children and to receive the original birth certificate straight away, once the process is completed,” says Suzana Petronila Soares Fernandes, Chief of the Department of the Central/National Archive and Head of the Birth Registration Campaign Team in Ossu Administrative Post, Viqueque Municipality.

Reaching every family is not without challenges. Many parents prioritise working in their fields during the day and are unable to attend the campaign. Weak internet connectivity can also delay data entry and the printing of birth certificates. In addition, raising community awareness remains an ongoing challenge, highlighting the need for continued outreach and communication. 

Despite these obstacles, the campaign achieved significant results. During the registration campaign in Ossu Administrative Post in Viqueque Municipality from 2 to 11 June 2026, the Ministry of Justice registered a total of 815 people. This includes 309 children aged 0-5 years, 329 children aged 6–16 years, 165 adults aged 17 years and above, 10 older persons, and 2 persons with disabilities. 
 

“We hope the Ministry of Justice will continue running this kind of outreach programme in the future especially in low-rate areas, at least once a year, with the support of development partners including UNICEF. This will help ensure that every child is registered and receives a birth certificate from the Government of Timor-Leste,” says Suzana.