Nepal

Impact of the universal birth registration campaign

Before the universal birth registration campaign was launched in 2005 

In 2004, 37% of the population nationally (620,595 people), and 54% in Plan working communities, were registered.  In 2000, 34% of under-fives were registered. 

Following the campaign 

In 2008, an estimated 40% of the population nationally, and 84% in Plan working communities, were registered.  The last published national report for 2006 showed that 991,582 people were registered (no figures available for under-fives).

Government policy and practice on birth registration 

The government of Nepal started a civil (vital) registration programme in 1977 to provide certificates of birth, death, marriage, migration and divorce to all citizens. Under the Birth, Death and Other Personal Incident Act, 1976, and Regulation, 1977, there are provisions to appoint a registrar at the Ministry of Local Development (MLD) and a local registrar for each village development committee (VDC) and municipality.  Each VDC secretary is designated as a local registrar for civil registration, and MLD non-officer staff are deputed as local registrars to work in municipality offices.  The Local Self-governance Act, 1999 has given more autonomy to VDCs and municipalities, including civil registration.  The government of Nepal has also included birth registration in its tenth national plan of action and the interim plan of action.  

Despite the policies and the government's plans of action, birth registration had not had enough priority.  Plan, UNICEF and ADB are lobbying the Ministry of Local Development to integrate birth registration with other government services so that its importance is realised by all stakeholders.  The government is also taking positive steps and initiatives.

Universal birth rights campaign strategy

Aim of campaign

The current UBR project is for the period 2008-10. The long-term goal is to achieve 100% birth registration for all children born in Nepal. The project has the following objectives:

• To increase the rate of birth registration for children under 18 from the current rate of 34% to at least 60% by 2010. 
• To increase the rate of birth registration for children under 18 to 100% in Plan working districts.
• To strengthen government policy and birth registration systems and processes.
• To build the capacity of local and national registrars offices for effective registration, to maintain the database and link birth registration with other services.
• To work closely with the Ministry of Local Development and other like-minded I/NGOs and UN agencies in national campaigning and advocacy for universal birth registration.

Strategy

Plan Nepal believes in strengthening the government institutions and mechanisms for effective implementation of birth registration at the national level, as well as in the communities.  Our project activities align to the Ministry of Local Development’s plan of action to improve the birth registration system by 2010.  Plan Nepal works closely with the Ministry of Local Development, Population and Vital Event Registration System, and we have signed a memorandum of understanding with the ministry to work together to improve birth and other vital registration systems.  To do this, Plan is focusing on the following activities:

• capacity building and strengthening of the government system and processes
• awareness raising
• organising mobile registration campaigns
• lobbying and advocacy for policy review and programme integration
• collaboration and networking with like-minded organisations.  

Outcomes

Policy and legislation changes 

Since February 2006, the Ministry of Local Development has started to register children born from artificial insemination.  A verdict of the Supreme Court in 2005 has made the birth registration policy more gender- and child-friendly by:

• making any member of the family above 16 able to provide information for registration – previously only the oldest male member of the family could do this 
• allowing registration of the birth of children of unknown fathers, including the Badi community (an ethnic group in which it is difficult to recognise the father of some children). 
  

Government capacity and practice:

Plan Nepal is committed to strengthening the capacity of the government at the central level as well as in the project districts and VDC levels.  We have been supporting different activities to achieve this, such as:

• developing software for the government's birth/vital registration system 
• capacity building training of government staff
• support for logistic (forms, formats, furniture, computers, etc). 

Monitoring and ensuring the implementation of policy and legislation related to UBR

The National Steering Committee ensures the implementation of policies and plans and monitors progress.  The committee is made up of 13 members representing the ministries of local development, health, education, women, children and social welfare, Planning Commission, Plan Nepal, UNICEF Nepal, Action Aid Nepal and Save the Children in Nepal.  Coordination committees at district and VDC levels monitor and ensure the implementation of activities.

Creating incentives to increase the demand for birth registration

There are mass awareness-raising activities at the national and local levels.  Print and electronic media are used to raise the awareness of duty-bearers and rights-holders on the importance of birth registration.  This has increased the demand for birth registration.

Waiver/reduction of costs

Birth registration within 35 days of birth is free.  Registration after 35 days costs Rupees 8/-, and after 70 days or more costs Rs 50/-.  Although the government has not waived the cost for late registration, Plan has negotiated with the local development officers in our working communities to waive the fees when we organise birth registration camps.

Partnerships, coordination, cooperation, alliances and coalitions

Plan Nepal is working directly in partnership with the government of Nepal.  However, because of the political instability in some district units, we are also working with local NGOs and community organisations.  Plan Nepal also works very closely with UNICEF and ADB in coordination with the Ministry of Local Development to improve the registration system in Nepal.  The ministry is lobbying with other ministries, such as education and health, and the National Planning Commission and Central Bureau of Statistics for the integration of birth and other vital statistics.

Community awareness

Activities to raise awareness include publishing adverts in local newspapers and broadcasting jingles on local radio in the local languages.  Plan Nepal has published birth registration adverts in Nepali, Tamang, Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Maitheli.  We have also produced a short tele-serial on the importance of birth registration with popular Nepalese comedians Hari Bamsha Acharya and Madan Krishna Shrestha.  The film was shown on the National TV of Nepal.  Children's clubs have been involved in raising awareness through street plays and door-to-door visits.  Community briefings, parents briefings and interaction meetings in women groups have also been very effective in raising awareness.

Ownership and sustainability (Have the duty-bearers, the state, taken responsibility? How have rights-holders, communities, and civil society been involved to ensure sustainability?)

Lobbying and advocacy with duty-bearers is still ongoing to make them realise the state's accountability in ensuring the first right of the child.  The Birth, Death and Personal Incident Act covers registration but has not made it compulsory, and there is little government funding for birth and other vital registration.  The government has been slowly realising the importance of birth registration data and is now including in its plans of action.  Awareness raising and capacity building for right-holders are based on a rights perspective.  Once the right-holders start to claim their rights, the state will need to respond to their demand.  

The integration of the issue of birth registration with other programmes, such as maternal health

Plan Nepal has included birth registration in its core programme and is working to integrate it with all its other programmes, such as health, education, building relationships, livelihood and microfinance, etc.  In some of our programme districts, we organise birth registration camps together with immunisation camps.  Capacity building training for VDC secretaries has included female community health volunteers, as they can be used to take the message to the parent as well as government officials.  Awareness-raising activity has already been incorporated into pregnant mothers' groups in Plan working communities.  Teachers are given briefings on birth registration. They ask for birth certificates when enrolling children, and, if they do not have one, they tell the parents to get one.  Plan Nepal is also lobbying the government on the integration of birth registration with other departments, such as health, education and planning.  

Registering the most marginalised and hard to reach communities  (ethnic minorities, nomadic groups, orphans, street children, migrants and refugees etc):

The birth registration project has given importance to the most excluded groups in the community.  It has given a special focus to the children of Dalits, Janajatis and indigenous communities, and to disabled children.  

Tackling the related issues of migration, nationality and statelessness

Although a birth certificate is required for citizenship and passports, it is not compulsory.  There is an ongoing dialogue between the Ministry of Local Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs (which issues citizenship) to have a link between the birth certificate and the citizenship certificate.  

Linking birth registration to other children’s rights, such as increased access to health, education, inheritance rights and protection from trafficking, child labour etc.

Birth registration facilitates children to enjoy other rights.  There are dialogues and advocacy to integrate and use birth registration data for planning and monitoring, and to link it with other services, such as health, education and child protection.  

Involving children in the UBR campaign

Children's club members are educated on the importance of birth registration through briefing programmes, and they play a very important role in educating their peers and parents about birth registration.  In Plan working communities, children have been mobilised to raise awareness on birth registration through street plays, door-to-door campaigns, etc.  Children have been very effective in raising awareness in the community.  

Good practice

• Plan Nepal is working in partnership with the government to focus on strengthening the birth registration system and make it sustainable.  
• During the period of conflict, when mass gatherings were prohibited, door-to-door campaign was very effective in raising awareness of the importance of birth registration.  Now, street plays by children and young people are effective alternatives.
• Stressing the rights-based perspective of birth registration has been very effective in making duty-bearers and right-holders accountable for their respective responsibilities.
• Working closely in alliances has given opportunities for Plan Nepal to share experiences.  Working together with UNICEF and ADB has also meant that we can share the financial burdens and avoid duplication of activities and project districts.   

Challenges, gaps and barriers

The birth registration project experienced several problems and constraints. Despite these, it has helped to increase people's awareness and demand for birth registration. However, access to birth registration for some target groups, such as Dalits and Janajatis, has still been limited due to several problems, such as: 

• multiple burdens on VDC secretaries 
• lack of resources to provide services and create demand for birth registration 
• newly emerged political unrest in different parts of the country. 

National level recommendations 

• It is important that the government uses birth registration data in its programme planning and monitoring, so that the general population is compelled to register their children at birth.  
• Birth registration should be implemented from a human rights-based perspective making the duty-bearers and right-holders accountable for their responsibilities.   
• The government should have enough capability to provide the service.  To reach this end, Plan Nepal is working in partnership with the government and other like-minded organisations, and is lobbying the government to integrate birth registration with other government services.  
• Government laws and policies should be simple and non-discriminatory.  The Ministry of Local Development, Plan Nepal, ADB and UNICEF are planning to work jointly on the revision of existing laws and policies.   

Future activities 

Plan Nepal's project is aligned to the approved plan of action of the Ministry of Local Development.  We will contribute to the national goal of registering all unregistered children by 2010.  Plan Nepal and the ministry are lobbying like-minded organisations to align their programmes as well.  Although Plan’s UBR project expires in December 2010, we will continue to support the government until it is capable of delivering the service on its own. Activities will include:

• review of the Birth, Death and other Vital Events Registration Act 1976 and the regulations 1977
• formulation of guidelines  and directives for vital events registration procedures
• advocacy and campaigning on registration
• capacity building of duty-bearers
• programme support for central, district and local registrars'  offices
• institutional strengthening 
• improving the record management system.