Launch of the National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Policy

• Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security,
  
  Mr. Jack Mwiimbu, MP
• The Permanent Secretary Home Affairs and Internal Security, Mr. Dickson Matembo.
• The Registrar General, Ms Brenda Kabemba Banda
• Senior Government Officials present
• Members of the diplomatic corps   
• UN colleagues
• Members of the media
• Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasure to share a few remarks on behalf of the United Nations System in Zambia. Allow me to begin by congratulating the Government of the Republic of Zambia for today’s milestone - the launch of the National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Policy. Today’s launch lays a firm foundation for a sustainable legal identity system for Zambia as the Policy is the anchor of all CRVS aspirations and interventions in the improvement of Zambia’s civil registration system. This event is also a clear testimony of the long and strong collaboration between the Government and the UN, through UNICEF that supported the development of this policy, as part of the UN’s legal identity support to the people of Zambia.

The Policy and its Implementation Plan will contribute to a well-functioning CRVS system which, apart from giving the people of this country a legal identity, is also an important source of timely and reliable vital statistics. These vital statistics are key in the implementation and monitoring the achievement of aspirations in the National Development Plans, SDGs and Agenda 2063, especially interventions in health, child protection, education, social protection, among others.

Honourable Minister

The launch of the National CRVS Policy has come at the right time for Zambia as it will complement and strengthen the recently launched Integrated National Registration Information System (INRIS) aimed at promoting a holistic approach to civil registration and identity management from birth to death.

Other initiatives by the Government that deserve commendation include the development of the 2021-25 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics National Strategic Action Plan; amendment of the birth and death registration Act through Statutory Instrument No. 44 of 2016 which decentralized birth and death certification to provincial and district levels; and the signing of the 2019 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between your ministry and the Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening the civil registration system by leveraging on the health sector’s reach.

Honourable Minister

We know that birth registration is the first step in the legal identity system and is critical in securing the recognition of individuals before the law and safeguarding their human rights and access to basic social services.

Unfortunately for Zambia, according to the 2018 DHS, only 14.3% of under-fives are registered. This situation puts our children at risk of being unseen, uncounted and excluded, and by extension, it may affect their ability to enjoy universal human rights and social protection benefits. For this reason, the UN System is working with the Government to ensure that every birth is recorded and registered at birth or at immunization to avoid a situation where a person is born, lives and eventually dies without his or her existence ever being recorded.

Honourable Minister, ladies and gentlemen

We cannot talk about civil registration without touching on COVID-19. Like other sectors, the registration of vital events was adversely affected by this pandemic to a point where in some cases the number of births registered dropped by half. There is need for innovation in the sector. We call upon all stakeholders such as your Ministry, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Technology, Smart Zambia and the UN system, to ensure that the on-going ICT innovations are scaled up to enable all people access civil registration services, thereby ensuring continuity of services.

Honourable Minister

The decentralisation of services to the lowest community level is key. In this regard, we encourage your Ministry and the Ministry of Health to continue with your partnership based on the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which has resulted in the establishment of over 800 birth and death notification desks in health facilities across the country.

With 84% of births in Zambia occurring in health facilities and 90% accessing vaccination services (BCG coverage), the role of the health sector in contributing to and promoting legal identity cannot be over emphasised. Through joint efforts and collaboration, every birth and death occurring in a health facility can be captured and registered.

To this effect the UN System pledges to continue supporting the on-going efforts by the Government to link INRIS and the Ministry of Health Information Management System (SmartCare plus). As part of these efforts, the UN System, with financial support from the Government of Japan, recently procured stationery biometric kits for all the 116 districts and 25 selected health facilities as part of our support to decentralized civil registration and identity management service delivery. This linkage will facilitate the quick and efficient transmission of birth and death notifications between the health facilities and the district civil registration offices.    

Honourable Minister

As l conclude, allow me to congratulate the Government for effectively scaling up INRIS to over 40 districts within 1 year of its launch. For Zambia to attain 50% under 5 birth registration rate and 100% biometric identity card by 2026 as contained in the 8th National Development Plan, both INRIS and the CRVS policy being launched today, will be the game changers.

In this regard, we urge your ministry to convene a round table meeting for donors to see how they can supplement Government’s resources and ensure that both the CRVS policy implementation plan and INRIS are fully implemented and reach the remotest parts of this country.

The United Nations System in Zambia stands ready to continue supporting all Government efforts in strengthening the national and sub-national civil registration and identity management systems and ensure that the country stays on course to achieve SDG 16.9 which is “legal identity for all by 2030, including birth registration”.

I thank you.