Indonesia

Impact of the universal birth registration campaign

In 2004, 40% of children under 18 had a birth certificate, and in Plan working areas, only 26.7% of children under 18 were registered. There is no formal updated data on birth registration however the campaigning work done both on governmental and local levels is clearly bearing fruit. 

Government policy and practice on birth registration 

Following ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, the government issued a child protection law stipulating that birth registration is a right of children and that birth certificates would be issued free.  A new administration and population law in 2006 (replacing previous colonial law that discriminated on the basis of ethnic group and religion) also provided free birth registration for newborns up to two months old.  

In 2005, the Ministry of Home Affairs (which is responsible for birth registration) issued a guide on birth registration, specifying the policy, mechanism, requirements and standard forms to be used. This guidance was directed at 440 regencies/towns across Indonesia. The directorate general of administration has now developed strategic planning for all children in Indonesia to be registered by 2011.  

However, decentralisation has posed new challenges, as district governments view civil registration as a source of revenue, and there is also no assurance that registration at district level conforms to universal principles. Only 220 of the 440 regencies/towns have a district regulation on free birth registration, although the age limit for this varies between them – from 60 days up to 18 years old.  Few district governments understand the need to compile statistics on birth registration to help develop policy on the protection and welfare of the child, and few have birth registration systems that collaborate with hospitals, health centres or village midwives to make the service more simple and accessible.  

Universal birth registration campaign strategy

Aim of campaign 

UBR project designs for each of the nine programme units in Indonesia focused on: influencing the political process; building relationship with key partners; involving children in promoting activities based on their interest; and developing best practice.  

• Awareness raising and mobilisation through information, education and communication activities. This was a core approach to dealing with the very low awareness of child rights, specifically birth registration.  A massive national campaign started in 2005, followed with TV advertising from December 2006 to February 2007. Each programme unit used children's media, radio, religious events, sermons in mosques (Jumat prayer) and churches, and also schools to present the issues of child rights and birth registration. 
• Capacity building. Training on birth registration was developed in every district and at national level to improve knowledge, skills and practice on birth registration. For example, we developed a module on birth registration for civil registration staff all over Indonesia, and, at district level, we trained village midwives, post office staff, education stakeholders, religious leaders and health centre leaders on child rights, particularly birth registration. We also trained children's groups as advocates for child rights and birth registration in schools and through the radio. In some districts, children are involved in lobbying and speaking to policy makers. 
• Influencing political practice. At national level, Plan Indonesia, together with UN agencies and other international NGOs, approached the President to start TV advertising to encourage the government to fulfil children's basic right. Following a massive campaign, each Plan working area was involved in piloting activities to increase awareness and birth registration of unregistered children. Some districts have also initiated simple local procedures to show government that birth registration could be simplified and more accessible to families and communities in remote areas.   
• Support services to partner organisation and government.  At national level, we have been actively involved with government departments and children's organisations to support inter-departmental strategic planning for all children to be registered by 2011.  At district level, Plan has supported local government to participate in national planning for birth registration through consultation meetings and local support. 
• Developing best practice on simplifying birth registration procedures.  One of Plan's working areas has been established as a birth registration model for undeveloped districts. Many districts have visited it and replicated the model to other areas.

Expenditure per year 

July 2005 to June 2006 - US$113,933

July 2006 to June 2007 - US$200,949

July 2007 to June 2008 - US$113,228

July 2008 to June 2009 - US$310,542 

Outcomes

Policy and legislation changes 

• We worked with UNICEF and other children's organisations in Sikka (one of our working areas) to address the complicated procedures required for birth registration. We lobbied the district government, and supported training for midwives and civil registration staff on simplifying the procedures. This led to a regional regulation giving free birth certificates for children under 18 (compared to the national age limit of two months for a free certificate). We helped simplify the procedure for birth registration at village level, and collaborated with village midwives to register newborn babies when they helped mothers with delivery. The process to simplify birth registration procedures has begun in all Plan working areas and has also been adopted in other areas.
• We were actively involved in a civil consortium reviewing inherited colonial law on civil rights. This resulted in the new national regulation that provides free birth certificates for children up to two months. In December 2008, strategic planning was launched to register all children by 2011.  

Community awareness and involving children in the UBR Campaign 

• We launched a massive TV advertising campaign all over Indonesia, and encouraged children's groups, through training, consultation and cultural events, to take part in awareness-raising and advocacy. The number of parents who register their children has increased, and children and communities are actively involved in birth registration campaign through meetings, workshops and children's consultation at national and district level.
• We worked with a district government to issue free birth registration for all, and lobbied for a simplified birth registration procedure. We have trained village midwives to be a cadre to register children, and there are regular visits to communities in the remote areas.  

Good practice

Integration of birth registration with health services for children and parents 

• Parents have an opportunity for early and easy access to birth registration through village midwives.
• NGOs were instrumental in strengthening local governments to provide birth registration services. 
• Local leaders have become more accountable and responsible with the growth in their awareness and capacity to manage birth registration services locally.
• Health and local government officials who use the integrated birth and health registration data can project health requirements for better coverage of children and parents.
• Birth registration rate increased from 4 % to 72 % in one district. 

Key activities and processes 

• Awareness-raising and training of relevant staff at all levels, health centre leaders, midwives, parents, religious leaders. 
• Training civil registration staff on simple implementation of birth registration procedures, and advocacy of child rights and birth registration at all levels. 
• Clear roles for health and civil registration staff.
• Support from the district government with a budget to encourage health staff who had been trained and bye-laws for the effective implementation of birth registration. 
• Monitoring and reporting on results through monthly meetings.

Challenges, gaps and barriers

• Parents are still being charged for birth certificates, even though laws and policies state that they are free, and there can be conflict between laws.
• Distance and the cost of registration. 
• Political barriers affect the administration of birth registration. 
• Turnover in official staff. 
• Lack of knowledge about human rights and child rights.
• There is no accurate data on birth registration.  As a result, the government's estimated budget to provide birth registration for all children could be misleading. 

The challenges are: 

• how to persuade government officers of the importance of vital statistics for development planning
• how to lobby government to prioritise registration of all unregistered children born before the new administration and population law came into effect
• how to educate parents about the benefits of birth registration  
• developing a strong connection between the relevant parties. 

National level recommendations 

• Coordination between all parties involved in birth registration.
• The regulation that birth registration is universal and free should be supported continuously through parliament.
• The government should implement laws covering its responsibility for educating people and providing staff and a state budget for birth registration.
• Districts should drop charges for registering births and take affirmation action for children born before the new law took effect.
• Parents and communities should be made aware of the importance of birth registration. 
• All levels of society should be involved in promoting birth registration. 

Plan is involved in developing, implementing and promoting policies and programmes for birth registration. 

Future activities 

• We will evaluate birth registration in Indonesia to find out the figures on birth registration, which children are not registered, and where there are gaps between policies and implementation.
• Plan will work closely with all the stakeholders and government to encourage attention to and resources for birth registration, and to encourage local government to have a referral system to register children to prevent any exploitation. 
• We will build relations with key partners to promote birth registration. 
• Capacity building for all stakeholders, including children. 
• Plan will support the strategic planning to achieve the registration of all children by 2011. 

Do you have any high-profile supporters of Plan’s UBR campaign?

Susilo Bambang Yudoyono - President of Indonesia 

Mutia Hatta - Minister of Women's Empowerment 

Masnah Sari - Chair of Indonesian Commission on Child Protection

Asteria Aritonang -  Advocacy Director of World Vision International

Astrid Dionisio - Child Protection Officer, UNICEF

Adhi Santika - Secretary of Research and Development Body of Law and Human Right Department