A LEGISLATIVE review of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act is expected to commence “immediately” in an effort to achieve 100 per cent registration of births in Guyana.The disclosure was made on Friday by Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix, who announced that the Ministry of the Presidency Department of Citizenship, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), will additionally spearhead a multi-year communication plan to support the drive to universal birth registration.

The collaboration is expected to last a minimum of 2 years. The first component of the two-phase plan is expected to be reeled out immediately, with the second phase taking effect in 2016.

Minister Felix has said that the first component, which involves the review of the births and deaths legislation and the proposal for new legislation, will commence “immediately.”

“There is an act which came out some time ago, and we are looking to use that act to compare it with the Registration of Births Act to look for inconsistencies; and we hope that a review will bring these [inconsistencies] up,” Felix said.

As to who will be spearheading this operation, the Minister revealed that UNICEF will be supported by a consultant, identified as Patrick Triumph.
The two partners — Triumph and UNICEF — Felix said, will work towards having this review done within a specified time. When the review is done, the results will be shared with the relevant stakeholders, including the Citizenship Minister.

This will be part of a number of first steps to ensure that Guyana’s vision for 100 per cent registration is realised through the full articulation and implementation of policies which promote, among other things, free and universal birth registration.

The second component of the plan involves development of a multi-year communication plan to support the drive to universal birth registration.
UNICEF will be responsible for recruiting expertise for designing the communication campaign, which is expected to start soon. The campaign will utilise media such as television, radio and social media.

Though an amount was not disclosed, funding for this campaign will be provided for by UNICEF. UNICEF Representative for Guyana and Suriname Marianne Flach, who was present yesterday at the short meeting, expressed the view that a child who has not been registered at birth is as if he/she does not exist, which warrants the need for such an initiative.

“For children to have access to education (and) health, and be able to vote, they need birth registration. Without registration, the child does not exist, and so I am extremely pleased with this collaborative effort,” Flach said.

Noting that Guyana has attained between 89 and 92 per cent birth registration, Minister Felix noted that there is a great need to “get the word out in outlying areas” for persons to register births.
These “outlying areas” include hinterland and other remote areas.

“We have experienced the ill-effects of not having birth registration. We have found at elections time that there is a mad rush to get birth certificates. The problem is great; I have seen persons get a birth certificate without a name,” Minister Felix told reporters yesterday.

He noted that these first steps will be accompanied in the future by a larger plan, and action which would address issues such as supply and demand; decentralisation, and access to efficient and quality services; budget and expenditure that is supportive of increased birth registration; and management and coordination issues to support birth registration for all Guyanese.

The minister, a few months ago, announced his intention to take steps towards implementation of electronic registration of births for Guyanese, as well as upgrade of current laws and policies under citizenship.

By Ravin Singh