Last year, Cambodia adopted a new law that guarantees civil registration to all individuals residing in the country regardless of the person’s nationality, citizenship, ethnicity or geographic location. As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) provided legal and technical support to government agencies and Parliament throughout the process, and is now contributing to its implementation. On July 31, GHAI, together with UNHCR, UNDP and Vital Strategies, convened a forum to prepare for next steps.
The forum was meant to contribute to the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia’s strategic Plan of Identification 2017-2026, which aims to achieve a long-term vision for the country’s legal frameworks and documents to ensure that every birth and death, along with other vital life events, is effectively registered. The new Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification (the CRVSID Law) plays a key role in that process.
The law includes comprehensive legal framework and technical processes, for which GHAI is providing technical support, and will establish an integrated system which links the civil registration of births and deaths, along with individuals’ identification and residence, to a newly created population register. This process requires building a modern, permanent, universal civil registration system that will generate reliable vital statistics and an integrated population identification system (IPIS). Such a solid foundation will lead to a universal, continuous and permanent CRVSID system which will, in turn, guarantee and protect Cambodians’ rights to health, education, nationality, property and enjoyment of social entitlements and benefits.
GHAI will also continue its collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and other national and provincial decision-makers to ensure a coordinated and impactful approach to CRVS development.
As stated during the forum by H.E Lt. Gen. Dr. Neth, Director General of the Ministry of Interior's Department of Identification, “CRVS is everyone’s business and that’s why there is a need to work collaboratively for overall development of civil registration and national ID systems.”
Through a strengthened CRVS system, GHAI and other countries can contribute to accurate and accessible vital statistics data for informed decision-making and improved public health outcomes.
