Birth Registration in Sudan

In the framework of the partnership between the Reyada Voluntary Center, UNICEF and the Swedish Child Care Organization in advocating the issue of low birth registration, which began in 2014, a number of programs have been implemented to advocate the issue of birth registration represented in basic topics, including awareness campaigns, training workshops specialized in human rights mechanisms for children, criminal justice for children, advocacy and awareness through the media, school awareness, and shedding light on the issue of birth registration and international events for related to children, such as as International Children’s Day, African Children’s Day and coordination meetings with the competent authorities, partners and the local community and field work to register births, in cooperation with the General Administration of Civil Records , community leaders, social researchers, teachers, educational councils and legal assistants, in each of Khartoum State, West Darfur State, Blue Nile State, North Darfur State, Red Sea State.

The issue of low birth registration remained one of the thorny and complex issues that troubled those in charge of it, and according to the health survey, a large percentage of families, especially in the periphery, do not realize the importance of registering their births, which makes unregistered children vulnerable to deprivation of education, health care and other social services Without proof of age certificates, the child is exposed to the risk of underage recruitment and exploitation, in addition to the risks of human trafficking. And we find that their lack of this simple identification paper in their hands affects them, especially children separated from their families in times of crises and wars, and they become unable to provide important information that helps reunite them with their families. Since the category of children is the weakest category in the society groups because they need someone to act on their behalf in managing their affairs, it is necessary to take care of them and dedicate a space of care to the matter of registering them and issuing supporting documents for them to preserve their rights. The document granted by the civil records authorities to children at their birth is closely related to their ability to enjoy their rights in the care, protection and public services that each state provides to its citizens in the following manner:
– Their right to health, education and parental care.

Protection from exploitation and abuse represented in the following dangerous and cynical acts Forced recruitment and using them in armed conflicts and Child trafficking. Immunizing them from criminal accountability for those below the age of criminal liability and from harsh punitive measures and replacing them with reform measures aimed at reforming and reintegrating them into society.

Providing the necessary care and protection for special groups of children, such as children without parental care , children with disabilities, displaced children and those without citizenship, children in street situations and others.
The root cause of the new-borns registration problem:
-The deterioration of the economic condition of the family.
-The mother’s low level of education. : —-Distance to the nearest registry office.
– Not feeling the importance of recording.
-Lack of Knowledge of the procedures related to the registration process.
1 As for the most important obstacles and problems in the axis ofnew-born children registration, they are:
1 / Difficulty of obtaining some information and indicators related to childhood, which may lead to some gaps in the field of statistics and indicators related to the various fields of childhood.
2 / poor family awareness of the importance of registering the birth and obtaining birth certificates.
3 / Lack of knowledge of the place of registration, and the far distance registration offices from residential areas, especially in the states
4 / Lack of knowledge of the importance of registration and not feeling the need to register, in addition to the cost of obtaining registration certificates.
5 / Lack of knowledge of the supporter of the procedures and steps required to register their children
6 / There is a very big shortage of civil registry offices that in issue certificates.
7 / More than 80% of births take place outside health facilities, which reduce the chances of registering births.
1. Interventions by Reyada center at the local level
• Community protection networks were formed in six states these are: West Central, South and North Darfur, Blue Nile and Khartoum from volunteers of both genders who worked towards raising awareness of local communities.
• Holding forums for families to enlighten them on the importance of birth registration
• Preparing preliminary lists and listing unregistered children
Coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Civil Records Admiistration.
• The Voluntary Reyada Center conducted more than twenty mobile birth registration campaigns, benefiting 47,830 thousand children of both gender in the above-mentioned states:
• Participation in the Higher Committee for the Civil Records to prepare the civil records strategy .
• Participation in the specialized committees of the National Council for Childhood, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health The Scholars Initiative of the Media Staffers To advocate for the issue of birth registration.

Providing the necessary care and protection for special groups of children, such as children without parental care , children with disabilities, displaced children and those without citizenship, children in street situations and others.
The root cause of the new-borns registration problem:
-The deterioration of the economic condition of the family.
-The mother’s low level of education. : —-Distance to the nearest registry office.
– Not feeling the importance of recording.
-Lack of Knowledge of the procedures related to the registration process.
1 As for the most important obstacles and problems in the axis ofnew-born children registration, they are:
1 / Difficulty of obtaining some information and indicators related to childhood, which may lead to some gaps in the field of statistics and indicators related to the various fields of childhood.
2 / poor family awareness of the importance of registering the birth and obtaining birth certificates.
3 / Lack of knowledge of the place of registration, and the far distance registration offices from residential areas, especially in the states
4 / Lack of knowledge of the importance of registration and not feeling the need to register, in addition to the cost of obtaining registration certificates.
5 / Lack of knowledge of the supporter of the procedures and steps required to register their children
6 / There is a very big shortage of civil registry offices that in issue certificates.
7 / More than 80% of births take place outside health facilities, which reduce the chances of registering births.
1. Interventions by Reyada center at the local level
• Community protection networks were formed in six states these are: West Central, South and North Darfur, Blue Nile and Khartoum from volunteers of both genders who worked towards raising awareness of local communities.
• Holding forums for families to enlighten them on the importance of birth registration
• Preparing preliminary lists and listing unregistered children
Coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Civil Records Admiistration.
• The Voluntary Reyada Center conducted more than twenty mobile birth registration campaigns, benefiting 47,830 thousand children of both gender in the above-mentioned states:
• Participation in the Higher Committee for the Civil Records to prepare the civil records strategy .
• Participation in the specialized committees of the National Council for Childhood, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health The Scholars Initiative of the Media Staffers To advocate for the issue of birth registration.