What is the problem?

The problem is over 51 million children a year around the world are not registered.  This in turn will have an impact on their lives.

Without a birth certificate a child may have difficulty accessing basic rights such as access to education and health care – for example in a number of countries a child requiring vaccinations will be turned away from the health centre if they can’t produce a birth certificate.

Those without birth certificates are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. If a child is trafficked across a country border to work, they can’t prove they are too young if they have no birth certificate.