CRC Concluding Observations: Zambia, 2016
Published: 14/Mar/2016
Source: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
CRC/C/ZMB/CO/2-4
Concluding observations on the combined second to fourth periodic reports of Zambia
Birth registration
31. The Committee notes the measures that the State party put in place to promote free birth registration in the country. However, it remains concerned that the sub-system of birth registration has still not been developed and does not feed into the Integrated National Registration System. The Committee is also concerned that official registration is still not systematic, concerned about the low number of birth registration and the low rate of possession of a birth certificate, particularly in the rural areas, and concerned that groups of children, such as children born at home and refugee children, may be excluded.
32. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Strengthen its efforts to develop and implement free birth registration procedures and issuance of birth certificates with a special focus on children in rural areas and marginalized groups of children, such as refugee children;
(b) Strengthen and expand mobile birth registration to reach universal coverage, particularly for registration of children in rural areas, refugee children and those who have never been registered;
(c) Take measures to decentralize the birth registration system and provide adequate human, technical and financial resources so that birth certificates can be processed and issued at the district and provincial levels;
(d) Increase public awareness about the importance of birth registration and the process by which children are registered.
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