STATEMENT OF THE CAMEROON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO MARK THE 7th AFRICA CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS DAY
10 August 2024
Theme.- _Strengthening the linkage of civil registration and vital statistics to legal identity systems through digitalisation for enhanced inclusion_
The Commission emphasizes that the celebration of Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day marks a pivotal moment for reflection, collaboration and action towards strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems across Africa, especially as the continent strives to accelerate progress in meeting the commitments made under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to achieving universal legal identity.
The Commission acknowledges Government efforts to modernise the national civil status registration system in Cameroon, through the holding of the first National Forum of Mayors on Universal Birth Registration in Yaoundé from 26 to 27 April 2024. This Forum was organised by the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development (MINDDEVEL) with the support of technical and financial partners – National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The aim was to further raise awareness among the concerned stakeholders of the need to significantly reduce the number of people without birth certificates, estimated at 7,000,000 including 1,500,000 children in primary and nursery schools.
The Commission commends the efforts of development partners, in particular United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for their continued support of the Legal Identity Project initiated in Cameroun since 31 December 2020, with financial and technical support from the Government of Japan and the National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC) respectively. This project, which essentially aims at the combined impact of digitising civil status events and integrating civil status services in health facilities, resulted in a sevenfold increase in the number of birth certificates issued in the eight pilot councils. Thanks to digitisation, the number of birth certificates produced has grown substantially from 2,535 birth certificates in 31 December 2020 to 19,603 birth certificates on 31 December 2023.
The Commission makes alongside MINDDEVEL and UNICEF, the alarming observation that for more than a decade, the rate of birth registration in Cameroon has not only stagnated, but has even declined, particularly in the regions affected by activities of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram in the Far North Region and secessionists terrorists in the North-West and South-West Regions.
The Commission is deeply concerned about the statistics published on 9 August 2024, which show that, out of the 29,460,672 inhabitants of Cameroon, a total of 30.1 per cent of primary school children do not have birth certificates and a total of 1,500,000 pupils during the 2023-2024 school year, did not have birth certificates, including 59,163 pupils in examination classes, that is, in cours moyen deuxième année (CM2) or Class 6.
The Commission is gratified by the implementation by authorities of the recommendations made to them in its previous Statement to mark Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day, in particular, the signing of Presidential Decree No. 2024/333 of 24 July 2024 relating to Cameroon’s accession to the United Nations Conventions relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and on the Reduction of Statelessness and the launch in Yaounde on 22 March 2024 of a special operation to produce and issue birth certificates to pupils in the CM1-CM2 and Classes 5 and 6, respectively for the French and English sub-systems. The special operation was launched by the Minister of Basic Education, with the ultimate objective of issuing 80,000 birth certificates to needy pupils in Cameroon's public primary schools within two months.
The Commission also notes that the four recommendations addressed to the State of Cameroon following its fourth appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), concerning the right to identity, were disseminated by the CHRC to State bodies, including the recommendation inviting the Ministry in charge of Justice (MINJUSTICE), the National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC) and the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development (MINDDEVEL) to improve access to birth registration, particularly by facilitating the organisation of mobile court hearings to obtain substitute judgments for issuing birth certificates, especially for people living in inaccessible rural areas.
The Commission recommends to civil society organisations to run vigorous public awareness and information campaigns on the importance of civil status registration.
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