CRC Concluding Observations: Mozambique, 2019
Published: 27/Nov/2019
Source: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Concluding observations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports of Mozambique
CRC/C/MOZ/CO/3-4
Birth registration and nationality
20.The Committee welcomes the introduction of the electronic civil registry system, the elimination of geographical restrictions for registration and the expansion of registration centres. Nevertheless, the Committee remains concerned about the significant number of children who are not registered; limited access to civil registration services in rural areas; fees imposed on registrations that occur after 120 days from the date of a child’s birth, on notification papers and on copies of certificates; the lack of effective measures to ensure the birth registration of girls and children of unmarried parents; the low level of public awareness of the importance of birth registration; and the absence of adequate data and measures on statelessness in the State party.
21. Taking note of target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee urges the State party:
(a) To continue efforts to promote the timely registration of births, including through the introduction of registration facilities in all health-care centres, of mobile registration units in rural and remote areas and of administrative measures to ensure retroactive birth registration and the issuance of documents for children who are not registered;
(b) To abolish all birth registration fees and ensure that all children, including children of unmarried parents, are properly registered at birth, including by raising awareness among the population to eliminate the stigmatization faced by children of unmarried parents and their mothers;
(c) To intensify its efforts to raise awareness among the general public, and among mothers and pregnant women in particular, of the importance of birth registration, including through community health programmes and campaigns in health-care centres;
(d) To take measures to determine the number of stateless children in the State party and, for example, the kinds of children who are stateless, why they are stateless and what legislation and policies prevent them from acquiring a nationality.