UNICEF: universal birth registration key to advancing rights of African children

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a policy note in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Sunday, reiterating the call to register all African children at birth to boost their protection and secure a brighter future for them.
The policy note commemorates the 8th Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day (CRVS), which is marked annually on Aug. 10. UNICEF stressed that birth registration is a fundamental right for every child.
The Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 calls for the provision of a legal identity for all, but in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half of all children under five remain unregistered at birth, UNICEF said.
“With Africa expected to account for one-third of all global births by 2050 — achieving universal birth registration is both a rights imperative and a demographic necessity,” the agency observed.