CRC: State Report of Burkina Faso, 1999
Published: 13/Feb/2002
Source: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
CRC/C/65/Add.18
A. Name and nationality (art. 7)
96. All births occurring in the territory of Burkina Faso must be declared to the registrar in the place of birth within a period of two months from the day of birth (Code on the Individual and the Family, art. 106). Responsibility for declaring the birth lies with the parents, one of the ascendants, close relatives or any other person having been present at the birth.
97. Hospitals, maternity wards and public or private health clinics maintain registers in which they enter births by order of date (art. 108).
98. To facilitate registration, registry offices have been opened in maternity hospitals and health units. Many births, however, take place outside of health centres due to the parents’ poverty.
99. No specific measures have been taken for awareness-raising and mobilization of public opinion concerning the need to register births.
100. No specific measures have been taken to provide registry staff with appropriate training.
101. The following identity elements are taken into account in registering births: surnames, first names, date and place of birth, sex, names of father and mother or the person who has recognized the child, whether the father or mother.
102. When choosing a name for the child, the registrar must do so in such a way as not to affect the child adversely (art. 39).
103. The registrar is also prohibited from receiving or giving surnames or first names other than those confirmed by usage, tradition and religion (art. 35).
104. No discrimination exists.
105. The law grants children the right to know and be brought up by their parents. Articles 5 and 296 of the Code on the Individual and the Family stipulate that parents must keep their children in the home and that they are under the obligation to feed, educate and supervise them.
106. Children have the right to acquire a nationality, particularly in cases where lack of nationality would make them stateless: holders of Burkina Faso nationality are children born in Burkina Faso of a father or mother also born there, children born in Burkina Faso of unknown parents, children born in Burkina Faso who cannot claim any nationality of origin and newborn infants found in Burkina Faso (arts. 140, 142 and 143).
107. Minor children born in Burkina Faso of foreign parents and foreigners or stateless persons adopted by a Burkina Faso national may acquire Burkina Faso nationality (arts. 140, 142 and 143).
108. There is no specific provision for attribution or acquisition of nationality for children born out of wedlock; such children have the same rights as other children. Double nationality is not authorized.
109. No new provisions have been enacted (see initial report, chap. IV).
Full text of report in English and French on UN OHCHR website.