Universal Birth Registration Could Be Lasting Legacy Of African Union’s 50th Anniversary
21 May 2013 - The 50th 'birthday' of the African Union is a chance to make a lasting commitment to the continent's children by giving every child a name and legal status, UNICEF said today.
'Ghana's most important resource is its children,' said acting UNICEF Ghana representative Sarah Hague. 'Ghana's future will be built by its children, and their rights need to be protected. The first step is making sure that every child, everywhere, is counted and is given a legal identity.'
Only 62 per cent of children under-5 in Ghana have their birth registered, meaning that nearly 40 per cent of Ghanaian children are not counted as citizens, according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011. In Ghana, rural children are much less likely to be registered. This puts them at risk of being cut off from social services and legal protection crucial to their survival and futures.
Without legal identities, children can be denied access to basic services such as schooling. Without details of their age, they cannot be easily protected against child labour, human trafficking, early marriage, commercial sex exploitation and other forms of exploitation.
UNICEF Ghana is working with the Government of Ghana to register 90% of children under-5 by 2016. New research into birth registration in Ghana has found that inadequate resources (both staff and registration materials), inaccessibility and the cost of registration prevent children from their legal identities. The Government and UNICEF are working together to increase resources and find innovative ways to reach more children.
Last year, UNICEF supported the registration of more than 4,000 children's births in hard to reach areas of the Upper East and Eastern regions.
As part of the celebrations of the African Union Golden Jubilee, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Martin Mogwanja will take part in a high-level debate hosted by the AU on The Scandal of Invisibility, Making Every African Count in Addis Ababa.
'We welcome the anniversary's focus on Africa's collective future,' said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Martin Mogwanja. 'By starting with strong civil registration systems, not only will the continent be closer to meeting its commitments to children but these investments will help inform planning needs for the next generation as well as meeting broader development goals.'