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7. Birth registration and the national identification system
National ID systems are touted as important for economic development
10
and promoted by international organizations. The spread of national
identification systems in developing countries however, runs the risk that
governments will divert funding from civil registration to develop the national
identification system, believing it can substitute for birth registration. Instead,
birth registration and a national identify system should work together, by
assigning a national identification number at birth and including that number,
or a link to that number, on the birth registration form. This will ensure that
children possess proof of identity until they reach the age of enrollment in the
national identification system, providing them access to government services
and protecting them from potential exploitation. Following recommendation
by a number of international organizations, this approach is gradually being
adopted by countries. 11

8. Conclusion
Birth registration offers significant advantages for both individuals and
governments. As a result, birth registration via government-run civil
registration systems exists in almost every country in the world. At the same
time, birth registration completeness remains low in many countries and
2
improvement has been slow. There is promise of future improvement
however, as growing awareness of the unique advantages of a well-
functioning civil registration system is leading donors to offer registration
assistance to countries.
As external organizations begin to consider assistance on birth
registration they can provide to low-and medium-resource countries, they
would do well to apply the lessons learned in assistance to date. Approaches
that have been found to be important include the need to involve country
partners in a joint assessment of the system, identification of system
problems, and agreement on solutions. System improvements can draw on
the recommendations mentioned above, among others, always with an eye
toward improvements that the country can sustain with its own resources.
Another approach that has had positive results is creating reasons for
families and individuals to register births, either through benefits to enjoy or
via enforceable requirements for registration. Finally, integrating birth
registration and the national identity systems will help to avoid diverting
resources from birth registration.

10 World Bank Group. Identification for Development: Africa business plan. World Bank,
Washington DC, 2017.
11 Botswana Department of Civil and National Registration. Integration of civil registration and
vital statistics and Identity management systems: Botswana success story. Department of Civil
and National Registration, Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Gaborone, 2015.
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