REGIONAL NETWORK WORK PLANS Africa, Asia and Eastern Mediterranean 2012 and 2013 pdf

Provide capacity development for countries to improve their CRVS and the tools to guide them including: dissemination of tools in CRVS assessment, planning and strengthening and trackin

REGIONAL NETWORK WORK PLANS

Africa, Asia and Eastern Mediterranean

2012 and 2013

Prepared for HMN Executive Board Meeting, 8 November 2012

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the approved HMN Corporate Plan 2012–13, three networks have been established centred in Africa, Asia–Pacific and the Eastern Mediterranean At the HMN Executive Board Meeting of 1 June 2012, the Executive Board approved the HMN Regional Network Hub Strategy These regional work plans have since been developed in collaboration with the key regional partners in each of the three regions, to outline how HMN will support the strengthening of CRVS in collaboration with regional partners in 2012–13 In accordance with the possible funding cessation in March 2013, activities are only identified to March 2013, even though the regional programmes will continue

BACKGROUND

HMN has actively pursued the Executive Board–approved transition from a centralized secretariat to

a decentralized secretariat function, as approved by the Executive Board on 1 June 2012 The lean secretariat of three persons provides a streamlined overhead to support regional partner activities To consolidate relationships with key network partners, as agreed by the Executive Board

now-on 1 June 2012, HMN has negotiated memorandums of understanding with ASSD and UNECA in Africa, UNESCAP in Asia and technical partners University of Oslo and University of Queensland These partners are now actively engaged in the technical and implementation work This

characterizes a true and lively network

As mandated by the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health (COIA), and approved by the HMN Executive Board, the focus of HMN regional networks is on civil registration and vital statistics

REGIONAL NETWORKS AND PRIORITY COUNTRIES

Since the approval of the HMN Corporate Plan 2012–13, HMN has been actively engaging with partners in the following regions to develop a regional plan for HMN support and engagement: (i) Africa

(ii) Asia and Pacific, including central Asia

(iii) Eastern Mediterranean

These three networks cover a majority of the priority countries identified by the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women and Children’s Health as shown in Table 1 below

Table 1 Priority countries for UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women and Children’s Health covered by the HMN hubs

Office

Office

Country

Africa

AFRO

Central African Republic

Africa

Africa

Eastern Mediterranean EMRO Afghanistan Africa

Eastern Mediterranean EMRO Djibouti Africa

Africa

Eastern

Africa

Africa

Asia

WPRO

Solomon Islands

The status of country CRVS assessments is shown in attachment 4

HMN AFRICA REGIONAL NETWORK PLAN

HMN support to Africa in 2012–13 is directed to the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement

of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) This allows HMN to leverage the work of the MOVE-IT initiative, support the acceleration of Recommendation One of the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health and use tools that have been developed immediately in country

The APAI-CRVS and the regional medium-term plan (MTP) (2011) are outcomes of the

recommendations from the regional workshop on CRVS in Dar es-Salaam, United Republic of

Tanzania, in June 2009 The proposed plan was discussed during the meeting of experts for the organization of the conference of African ministers responsible for civil registration in August 2010 and was endorsed by the ministers The MTP is a guiding tool for countries, regional and

international organizations for managing interventions and monitoring achievements in civil

registration and vital statistics systems in Africa from 2010 to 2015

The African ministers responsible for civil registration met in Cape Town on 3–5 September 2012 and recommended that all African states should conduct comprehensive assessments of their CRVS systems and develop national plans to guide national improvement processes This is consistent with Recommendation One of the COIA

Goal

The medium-term plan is aimed at supporting African governments in building sustainable and accountable institutions and measure and monitor their respective development efforts

Objectives and targets

The overall objective of the medium-term plan is two-fold:

1 improve the capacity of national government administrations in managing the recording and service provision of vital events

2 capacitate national vital statistics compiling offices in the production and dissemination of flow of demographic and health statistics for subnational/local, national, regional and international consumption

The specific objectives and targets of the plan are to:

1: improve coverage of civil registration in Member States

2: improve completeness of birth and death registration in Member States

3: improve completeness of marriage and divorce registration in Member States

4: improve completeness of birth and death vital statistics in Member States

5: improve completeness of marriage and divorce vital statistics in Member States

6: improve timeliness, quality and use of vital statistics in Member States

7: improve accessibility and use of civil registration records in promoting good governance

8: establish integrated population registers/databases

Regional partners

The APAI-CRVS programme is steered by UNECA as the secretariat, with the support of a CRVS core group composed of the AfDB, AUC, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Health Metrics Network (HMN) and the secretariat of the African Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD), representing African countries

HMN Africa work plan 2012–13

The HMN contribution to the Africa network work plan is summarized below

1. Provide leadership on a common agenda for CRVS strengthening and mobilize partners, regional

organizations, donors and stakeholders working with and supporting CRVS strengthening to build a network

of partners to strengthen country CRVS

1 Memorandums of understanding negotiated with UNECA and ASSD to collaborate on CRVS

APAI-2 Participation in the APAI-CRVS core group

3 Participation in East African Inter Parliamentary Union Retreat on Improving Information to Secure Women’s and Children’s Health and Health Related MDGs, Arusha, 26–27 May 2012 (attachment 1)

4 Participation in Africa Ministers Meeting, Durban, September 2012 (attachment 2)

5 Mobilization and funding of health sector representatives to the Africa Ministers Meeting

6 Hosting of a technical meeting between UNECA and HMN in Geneva on support for the APAI-CRVS programme on 8 and 9 October 2012 to discuss follow-up on recommendations

of the Ministers Meeting for all countries to undertake comprehensive CRVS assessments and plans

7 “Improving cause of death and AIDS mortality surveillance in Africa”, 15–16 November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa The meeting is organized by WHO in collaboration with the South Africa Medical Research Centre, the ALPHA Network, INDEPTH Network and Health Metrics Network

8 Support in the organization and technical contribution to the ASSD Meeting on Death and Cause of Death, 27–29 November 2012, Côte d’Ivoire

9 HMN Global Partners Forum, March 2013, followed by Africa resource mobilization meeting

10 Draft information sheet linking COIA country workshops with APAI-CRVS prepared

(attachment 3)

2. Technically support country CRVS progress, develop analytical capacity to assess data quality and

interpret CRVS for policy, advocacy and resource mobilization

1 Support for comprehensive CRVS assessments in Egypt and Burkina Faso

2 Africa data repository on CRVS commenced in collaboration with UNECA

3. Provide capacity development for countries to improve their CRVS and the tools to guide them

including: dissemination of tools in CRVS assessment, planning and strengthening and tracking of their CRVS systems; dissemination of evidence, lessons learned and innovations; and development of regional and country capacity to support and strengthen CRVS

1 Support to the young statisticians programme to build CRVS capacity

2 Translation of CRVS assessment tools into French and Arabic

3 Draft modules developed on marriages and divorces

4 Module on CRVS ICT assessment under development in collaboration with WHO KMS

5 CRVS country facilitators training completed in Pretoria (10 countries); another is planned in March 2013

6 Sponsorship for CRVS short course, University of Queensland, Australia (10 participants from Africa)

4. Foster and accelerate innovation in CRVS

1.Systematic review of eCRVS and mCRVS innovations

HMN ASIA–PACIFIC NETWORK (INCLUDING CENTRAL ASIA)

HMN support to Asia–Pacific aligns with and supports the Regional Strategic Plan for the

Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (attachment 3)

This allows HMN to leverage the work of the MOVE-IT initiative, support the acceleration of

Recommendation One of the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health and use tools that have been developed immediately in country

The Regional Strategic Plan for the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific will be presented to a high-level meeting of representatives from statistics, civil

registration and health in December 2012 in Bangkok

Goal

The goal of the Regional Strategic Plan is, through improved civil registration and the increased availability and use of reliable vital statistics derived from civil registration systems, to contribute to the improvement of evidence-based policy-making, efficiency in resource allocation and good governance, as well as the progressive realization of the basic rights of all individuals

Outcomes

The Regional Strategic Plan has the following outcomes

Outcome A Public awareness

Enhanced public awareness of the value of civil registration and vital statistics systems and actions taken to remove barriers to registration at all levels

Outcome B Political commitment

Sustained political commitment to support the development and improvement of civil registration and vital statistics systems

Outcome C Investments

Sufficient and sustainable investments towards incremental improvements in civil registration and vital statistics systems

Outcome D Policies, legislation and implementation of regulations

Improved and strengthened policies, legislation and implementation of regulations for civil registration and vital statistics systems

Outcome E Legal documentation

Improved availability and quality of legal documentation for all individuals

Outcome F Statistics on vital events

Increased technical capacity of countries in Asia and the Pacific to record, compile, analyse and disseminate complete and reliable statistics on vital events

Outcome G Coordination among key stakeholders

Mechanisms established for effective coordination among key stakeholders within civil registration and vital statistics systems

Outcome H Use of vital statistics

Increased technical capacity of countries in the region to effectively use vital statistics

Regional partners

The Asia–Pacific regional programme key partners are:

1 UNESCAP Statistics Division

2 Asian Development Bank (ADB)

3 Heath Metrics Network

4 University of Queensland Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub

5 World Health Organization (WPRO, SEARO, EURO and HQ)

6 Secretariat for the Pacific Community

7 Australian Bureau of Statistics

8 UNICEF

9 UNFPA

A core group has been convened to support the development of a draft work plan to implement the draft regional medium-term plan for discussion at a high-level regional meeting of decision-makers from national statistical organizations, civil registration offices, ministries of health and other

relevant stakeholders to raise awareness and increase political will and commitment to improving civil registration and vital statistics in December 2012 (to be funded by HMN) The high-level

meeting will provide the springboard for a ministerial level meeting in early 2013, the goal of which will be to catalyse political commitment, mobilize resources and provide the impetus for the launch

of a regional plan for CRVS

Other regional partners and subregional networks will also be engaged as the implementation programme proceeds, particularly the consortium of development and implementing partners currently enabling an intensive CRVS strengthening effort in the Pacific (i.e the Brisbane Accord Group) led by the Secretariat for the Pacific Community and the University of Queensland Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub

HMN Asia–Pacific work plan 2012–13

The HMN contribution to the Asia–Pacific work plan is summarized below

1. Provide leadership on a common agenda for CRVS strengthening and mobilize partners, regional

organizations, donors and stakeholders working with and supporting CRVS strengthening to build a network of partners to strengthen country CRVS

1 Memorandum of understanding negotiated with UNESCAP to collaborate on the CRVS regional programme

2 Participation in the regional programme core group

3 Support for the high-level meeting on CRVS, 10–11 December in Bangkok

4 Preparation of background papers on CRVS for the high-level meeting

5 STC to work with UNESCAP to support preparations for the high-level meeting

6 Partial funding for a WHO technical officer in WPRO to provide the technical lead for HMN activities in the Asia–Pacific region

7 HMN Global Partners Forum, March 2013

2. Technically support country CRVS progress, develop analytical capacity to assess data quality and

interpret CRVS for policy, advocacy and resource mobilization

1 Support for CRVS assessments in SEARO, WPRO and EURO

2 Asia data repository on CRVS commenced in collaboration with UNESCAP

3 Translation of CRVS assessment tools into Russian

3. Provide capacity development for countries to improve their CRVS and the tools to guide them

including: dissemination of tools in CRVS assessment, planning and strengthening and tracking of their CRVS

systems; dissemination of evidence, lessons learned and innovations; and development of regional and country capacity to support and strengthen CRVS

1 CRVS facilitator training Bangkok for 12 countries, October 2012

2 Central Asia Death and COD meeting October 2012 in Bishkek

3 Draft modules developed on marriages and divorces

4 Module on CRVS ICT assessment under development in collaboration with WHO KMS

5 Sponsorship for CRVS short course, University of Queensland, Australia

4. Foster and accelerate innovation in CRVS

1 MOVE-IT investigators Asia meeting, May 2012

2 Systematic review of eCRVS and mCRVS innovations

3 HMN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN NETWORK

The recent political changes in the region have highlighted the importance of having effective policies and processes to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency in all sectors The urgency and opportunity for interventions for more effective governance in the region has never been more evident than it is today Effective governance means competent management of a country’s resources that is demonstrated in the way policies are developed and decisions are made

at all levels in a manner that is open, transparent, accountable, equitable and responsive to people’s needs This can never be achieved without a strong country information system that is

comprehensive, integrating all sectors, including health

Improving health systems represents a common policy goal in the region, hence, institutions are expected to assume responsibilities to promote and deliver equitable and effective health services Strengthening information, transparency and accountability is a key facet in this process

Also, within the context of the current upheavals, the region has attracted strong global political attention and willingness of donor countries to provide financial support to the restructuring of the region Therefore, the region has a pressing need for information and accountability to support the aid effectiveness process, policy development and evidence-based decision-making in several sectors, including health, health information systems and civil registration and vital statistics

The WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO RD) has committed his leadership

to the CRVS agenda in EMRO He has already engaged HMN in a briefing of all country

representatives in the region on CRVS and has requested them all to work with countries to

undertake rapid assessments in 2012 HMN has provided support for these rapid assessments The EMRO RD has reached out to UNESCWA, UNESCAP and UNECA to actively promote collaboration in the region HMN will support the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in holding a multi-country stakeholder meeting on CRVS in the first quarter of 2013

Eastern Mediterranean work plan 2012–13

The HMN contribution to the Eastern Mediterranean work plan is summarized below

1. Provide leadership on a common agenda for CRVS strengthening and mobilize partners, regional

organizations, donors and stakeholders working with and supporting CRVS strengthening to build a network of partners to strengthen country CRVS

1 Memorandums of understanding discussions commenced with League of Arab States

2 HMN Global Partners Forum, March 2013

2. Technically support country CRVS progress, develop analytical capacity to assess data quality and

interpret CRVS for policy, advocacy and resource mobilization

1 Support for rapid CRVS assessments in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in 2012

2 Translation of CRVS assessment tools into Arabic

3. Provide capacity development for countries to improve their CRVS and the tools to guide them

including: dissemination of tools in CRVS assessment, planning and strengthening and tracking of their CRVS systems; dissemination of evidence, lessons learned and innovations; and development of regional and country capacity to support and strengthen CRVS

1 CRVS facilitator training in Bangkok for four representatives from Egypt, October

2012

2 Draft modules developed on marriages and divorces

3 Module on CRVS ICT assessment under development in collaboration with WHO KMS

4 Sponsorship for CRVS short course, University of Queensland, Australia

5 CRVS country facilitators training planned for EMRO in January 2013

4. Foster and accelerate innovation in CRVS

1 Systematic review of eCRVS and mCRVS innovations

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

1 Concluding Statement, East Africa Inter Parliamentary Union Meeting, Tanzania, 2012

2 Ministerial Statement, Conference of Ministers for Civil Registration, 6-7 September,

Durban, 2012

3 Information sheet on APAI CRVS for COIA country roadmap workshops

4 Draft regional plan on CRVS for Asia and Pacific

5 Country CRVS assessment update

6 Revised HMN Budgets for regions

ATTACHMENT ONE

Improving Information to SecureImproving Information to Secure Women’s and Children’s Health and Health Related

MDGsMDGs Arusha

Arusha, , , 262626 27 May27MayMay 201201201222

Concluding Statement

We, Members of the General Purpose Committee of the East Africa Legislative

Assembly (EALA), representatives of National Parliaments from East Africa1 as

well as experts from the region on maternal, new born and child health

(MNCH), gathered in Arusha on 26 and 27 May 2012 for a seminar to identify

actions which parliaments in the East Africa region can take to promote

maternal, new born and child health in the East Africa region

We acknowledge that East African Partner States have made some

achievements in addressing maternal, new born and child health However,

death rates are still very high, access to life saving antiretroviral drugs still

low as is access to family planning services We feel strongly that MNCH is

the future of humanity and that more needs to be done in this area

The improvement of women’s and children’s health requires continuous,

accurate, up-to-date and timely data that covers the entire population at any

one time This is because information is essential for public health

interventions, policy-making and planning the optimum deployment of

infrastructure for programming and for accountability We noted with

concerns that such quality data is not readily available in the region

Countries in the region currently generate information through annual health

sector reviews, monitor progress and performance in health delivery and

they are making efforts to improve the tracking of financing allocated for

health However, there are widespread gaps and data quality issues for core

1 Members of Parliaments from Burundi, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (including Zanzibar) participated in the

seminar

indicators of MNCH We also noted concerns with regards to data sharing; where data is available, capacity issues often result in the limited use of the data In particular, we noted that Partner States have made little progress towards developing reliable systems for civil registration and recording vital statistics What is required is national commitment to improve civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) in EAC

Parliamentarians have a role to play to ensure the required political will for effective and efficient CRVS systems, to promote accountability mechanisms (oversight) and high level commitment to achieving results in this area Parliamentarians also have a critical role in promoting the proper management and use of health information and the strengthening of health information systems in the interests of promoting overall accountable governance as well as accountability for the health of women and children Several opportunities exist for parliamentarians to contribute to ongoing efforts for accelerating the achievement of MNCH and for improving CRVS

We therefore un

We therefore undertake: dertake: dertake:

- To urge members of parliaments in Member States to hold governments

to account for the provision of maternal, new born and child health, including delivering on all commitments made to national, regional and global initiatives including the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, the Abuja commitment on allocating at least 15% of national budgets to improve the health sector, national roadmaps to reduce maternal mortality and the recent IPU resolution on the role of parliamentarians in ensuring maternal new-born and child health as a right;

- To underscore the role of leaders at all levels of society in promoting maternal, new born and child health and commit to encouraging them to work towards the realisation of MNCH;

- To making quality health information the basis of our contributions to

advocacy, policymaking and oversight including budget scrutiny and approval;

- To ensure enabling and enforced legal frameworks for the development, maintenance, appropriate and comprehensive use of health information;

In furtherance of the above objectives we propose following specific actions:

In furtherance of the above objectives we propose following specific actions:

Urge the IPU and EAC to cooperate in periodically re-packaging information

on maternal, new born and child health to make it user friendly for parliamentarians;

Urge EALA to develop an action plan for bringing the parliamentary perspective into on-going initiatives on improving civil registration and vital statistics;

Implore EALA and the IPU to support meetings of national parliaments with Human Rights Commissions within their countries to adopt a rights approach

Encourage National Parliaments to advocate for better information on and for prioritising provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services to vulnerable women and children, including those with disabilities, those in the poorest households, those living in rural areas and those living with HIV/AIDS;

Urge relevant committees to facilitate briefings in National Assemblies and EALA to raise awareness on CVRS;

Urge Partner States to develop strategies for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for collecting, sharing and analysing data

on maternal newborn and child health (including but not limited to ehealth, tele-medicine etc.);

to improve records on vital statistics in our countries

Done, this 27th day of May 2012 at Arusha, Tanzania

ATTACHMENT TWO

SECOND CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR CIVIL REGISTRATION

Durban International Convention Centre

Durban, South Africa 6-7 September 2012

Preamble

We, the African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration:

1 Held our Second Conference on 6 and 7 September 2012 in Durban, South Africa, on the theme, Improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Institutional and Human Infrastructure The conference was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of the Republic of South Africa, supported by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Metrics Network (HMN);

2 Take this opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Ethiopia for the death of His Excellency, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose commitment and passion for Africa’s development has contributed to placing CRVS on the development agenda of African countries We also express our condolences to the Government and people of Ghana for the death of His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, for his contribution to the development of Africa We further express our condolences to the Government and people of Malawi for the death of His Excellency, Bingu wa Mutharika, President

of the Republic of Malawi, for his contribution to the development of Africa

3 Welcome the Republic of South Sudan as a new member of the Conference;

4 Recall the commitments made at our first conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in August 2010

to consider and prioritize civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) as a regional policy agenda, and take steps to reform and improve CRVS systems in our countries In this regard, we acknowledge that the theme of our second conference is both timely and relevant for achieving viable, sustainable and efficient CRVS systems in Africa;

5 Note with satisfaction the decision of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (Ref; Assembly/AU/DEC.424) endorsing the recommendation of our first conference on the institutionalisation of the Conference as a standing regional forum of the African Union to deal with matters concerning civil registration;

6 Commend the progress and achievements made by Member States, since the first conference in August 2010, in improving civil registration and vital statistics systems, including the contribution of African regional organizations, various UN organizations and other development partners;

7 Commend the CRVS Secretariat at UNECA on its current efforts in coordinating international and regional interventions by creating regional platforms such as the CRVS regional Core Group and stakeholders forum;

8 Commend and welcome the contribution of the Young African Statisticians (YAS) in the development of CRVS in Africa, including their participation in this Conference;

9 Welcome the participation and contribution of non-governmental organizations, including the role of the private sector in the future development of CRVS systems in Africa;

10 Recognize that civil registration is a regular government operation with far reaching implications for national security, policy, governance, planning, development monitoring and evaluation;

11 Are aware of the challenges that our countries continue to face in the development of CRVS systems, especially the scandal of invisibility, as highlighted in the report of the comprehensive regional assessment undertaken by the Secretariat and reiterated by His Excellency Jacob Zuma, President of

the Republic of South Africa;

12 Recognize the continuing importance of CRVS in advancing Africa’s development agenda, including accelerating regional integration, attaining the priorities of NEPAD, and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);

13 Take note of the recommendations by the Experts Group Meeting, preceding this conference, to address the challenges of developing CRVS systems in Africa

14 Note that the challenge before us now is to reaffirm our commitment and scale up efforts to reform and improve CRVS systems in our countries In this regard, we fully endorse the recommendations

of our experts on strategies for improving CRVS as well as the proposed Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) for improvement of CRVS at national and regional level

15 In light of the recommendations we hereby resolve to:

a Continue our efforts to develop appropriate policies and strategies to reform and improve our CRVS systems, and to mainstream them in national development plans and programmes, taking into consideration the specific circumstances of our countries In this regard, we commit to urgently develop costed national plans of action on CRVS that reflect individual country priorities based on comprehensive assessments to be undertaken with the support of the Secretariat and partner organizations;

b Formulate laws and policies that ensure timely and compulsory registration of all vital events occurring within our countries, with guarantees of equal access to the system for all persons, regardless of nationality or legal status In this regard, we commit to continue our efforts in revising and updating civil registration and statistical legislation in our respective countries in line with regional and international guidelines and taking into account the evolving needs and innovations;

c Adopt appropriate technologies to speed and scale up civil registration, manage civil registration records, and ensure their integrity and security against natural disasters, civil wars, etc.;

d Accord high priority to CRVS and ensure allocation of adequate human and financial resources for the day-to-day operations of CRVS in our countries, including implementation

of the national action plans in order to ensure sustainability and country ownership;

e Call upon our development partners to continue to support our efforts in capacity building and resource mobilization and align their support to the national CRVS plans, consistent with the Paris, Accra and Busan Declarations on Aid and Development Effectiveness;

f Invite the independent Expert Review Group on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health to participate in the APAI-CRVS

g Establish high-level coordination mechanisms involving all relevant stakeholders for efficient functioning of CRVS systems, taking into account the multi-sectoral and integrated nature of civil registration services;

h Ensure the alignment of health information management system and the CRVS systems and that both be mainstreamed into National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS);

i Further strengthen and facilitate coordination between National Statistical Offices and Civil

Registration Authorities in managing and monitoring the challenges of CRVS systems;

j Develop results-based monitoring and evaluation systems and tools to monitor and report

on progress on CRVS;

k Continue to take steps to improve the availability and accessibility of civil registration services by devolving services to local levels through existing structures and service networks, in particular the health sector;

l Intensify awareness-raising campaigns to educate the public on the importance and procedures of CRVS to ensure their effective functioning;

18 Member States and development partners to reinforce the CRVS Secretariat at UNECA with adequate resources and appropriate staff complement to enable it carry out its mandate as recommended by the first Ministerial conference;

19 Invite African Ministers of Health to join us in view of the important role of the health sector in the delivery of civil registration services to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach in addressing the challenges of improving CRVS systems in Africa;

20 Relevant national universities, regional research and training institutions to respond to the knowledge demand in improving death registration and causes of death certification in countries with the support from development partners;

21 The African Union to allocate the necessary financial and technical resources in support of the CRVS development agenda;

We also thank the Premier of KwaZulu Natal Province and Mayor of the City of Durban for their warm hospitality

We express our deepest appreciation to His Excellency President Jacob Zuma, for gracing the conference with his presence and his inspiring opening speech

We also express our sincere appreciation to the Honourable Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Home Affairs of South Africa and incoming Chairperson of the African Union Commission for the able manner in which she chaired the Conference

We congratulate the Minister over her recent election as the Chairperson of the AUC and look forward to working with her to move the CRVS agenda forward in her new capacity

We thank His Excellency Mr Birhan Hailu, Minister of Justice of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the Bureau of our Conference as well as all the other members of the Bureau for their leadership over the past two years;

We also thank UNECA, AUC, AfDB, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO and HMN and other partners for their presentations and the support provided in organizing the conference

We look forward to our next Conference to be hosted by the Government of Cote d’Ivoire in September

2014

INFOR MA TION SH EET ON TH E A FR IC A PROGRA MME ON

A CCELERA TED IM PROV EMEN T OF CIV IL REG ISTRA TION A ND V ITA L

STA TISTIC S ( A PA I- C RVS)

FOR UNI TED NA T IONS C OMM ISSI ON ON IN FORMA TION AND

A CC OUN TA B ILITY ( C OIA ) C OUN TRIES IN A FR IC A

PU RPOSE: TO I NF O RM COI A CO UN TRIE S I N A FRI CA ON THE A PAI -CRV S PROGRA M A ND P RIO RITI E S FOR COUN TRY CRVS S TRE NG THE NI NG

CRVS systems comprise the total process of:i

• Collecting information on the occurrence and characteristics of vital events pertaining to the population (primarily birth, death, marriage and divorce, but also adoption, legitimation, recognition of parenthood, annulment of marriage and legal separation); and

• Generating vital statistics through the compilation, analysis, evaluation, presentation and dissemination of data

Proper functioning of the CRVS system requires the engagement of many stakeholders An example of a country's CRVS operational model is shown in Figure 1

Figure 1: Structure of CRVS operations and key stakeholders ii

The Africa Program on Accelerated Improvement of CRVS (APAI-CRVS)

APAI-CRVS is a continental-wide initiative to support countries in strengthening their CRVS systems The Programme was commissioned by African ministers responsible for civil registration during their first conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in August 2010 The ministers in their meeting declared the necessary political commitment for CRVS systems improvement and requested the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), to What is Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS)?

provide leadership and guidance to African Member States in the realization of well functioning CRVS systems

APAI-CRVS attempts to provide management and programmatic guidance to African countries

in improving their CRVS systems The regional programme is based on international standards, principles, processes, tools and recommendations of CRVS The CRVS systems strengthening process adopts a comprehensive sector-wide approach, in line with the policy directives of African ministers in charge of civil registration, that urged for a holistic and integrated approach

to reforming and improving CRVS systems

The African regional programme is steered by UNECA as the Secretariat, with the support of a CRVS core group composed of the AfDB, AUC, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Health Metrics Network (HMN) and the Secretariat of the African Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD), representing Africa Member States The African Ministerial Recommendation on CRVS System Strengthening

The African ministers responsible for civil registration recommended that all African Member States should conduct comprehensive assessments of their CRVS systems and develop national plans to guide the improvement process in countries

Linkages to the UN Commission for Information and Accountability

In 2011, the COIA convened by WHO at the request of the UN Secretary-General recommended that countries, as a priority, increase their efforts to strengthen CRVS iii The COIA countries are therefore strongly urged to utilize the COIA accountability workshops, as a means to prioritise CRVS in their country road maps APAI-CRVS and COIA Recommendation One are the same agenda

2 Guidelines, manuals and tools to guide the assessment process

3 Resource mobilization assistance for countries for implementation of their plan

Countries interested in accessing support should contact:

Raj Gautam Mitra, Chief Demographic and Social Statistics Section,African Centre for Statistics

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251 11 544 3144 Email: rmitra@uneca.org

Introduction 23

The role of civil registration and vital statistics systems 24

The impetus for regional action 25

A broad development partnership 29

Goal and scope 30

Guiding principles 30

Outcomes and activities 31

Outcome A: Public awareness 6

Outcome B: Political commitment 6

Outcome C: Investments 6

Outcome D: Policies, legislation and implementation of regulations 6

Outcome E: Legal documentation 6

Outcome F: Statistics on vital events 6

Outcome G: Coordination among key stakeholders 6

Outcome H: Use of vital statistics 6

Implementation steps 37

Governance and coordination 38

Regional Steering and Coordination Group (RSCG) 38

Regional Support Office (RSO) 39

National coordination 39

Monitoring 40

Annual progress assessment reports 40

Periodic monitoring reports 40

Annex 1: Proposed monitoring framework 41

Annex 2: Rapid self-assessments of CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific 44

Annex 3: Development partners [Awaiting confirmation from partners] 47

PLEASE NOTE The present advance draft has been prepared by ESCAP with inputs from UN organizations and other development partners for the purpose of consultations prior to the High-level Meeting on the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, to be held in

Bangkok on 10-11 December 2012

I N T RO D U C TI O N

“To make people count, we first need to be able to count people.”

- LEE Jong-Wook, WHO Director-General, 2003–2006

Address to WHO staff July 21, 2003

1 The Regional Strategic Plan for the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (the “Regional Strategic Plan”) represents a commitment by countries and development partners to make sustained and coordinated efforts to improve the coverage and completeness of civil registration and the availability and quality of vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific by 2020

2 The impetus for the Regional Strategic Plan arises from recognition amongst countries and development partners in Asia and the Pacific that:2

a Functional and reliable civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are an important national resource because:

i for society: the services that they enable and the statistics that they produce are the foundation for building a modern, efficient and informed public administration system; and

ii for individuals: they are crucial for realizing human, legal and economic rights, and for social protection and integration;

b Many countries in Asia and the Pacific do not have adequate CRVS systems and some are in urgent need of improvement; and

c Concerted improvement is most definitely achievable

3 Bearing the opportunities and challenges in mind, the Regional Strategic Plan aims to achieve eight feasible and measurable outcomes:

A Enhanced public awareness of the value of civil registration and vital statistics systems and actions taken to remove barriers to registration at all levels;

B Sustained political commitment to support the development and improvement of civil registration and vital statistics systems;

C Sufficient and sustainable investments towards incremental improvements in civil registration and vital statistics systems;

D Improved and strengthened policies, legislation and implementation of regulations for civil registration and vital statistics systems;

E Improved availability and quality of legal documentation for all individuals;

F Increased technical capacity of countries in Asia and the Pacific to record, compile, analyze and disseminate complete and reliable statistics on vital events;

G Mechanisms established for effective coordination among key stakeholders within civil registration and vital statistics systems; and

2 See ESCAP resolution 67/12, available at E67_23E.pdf>

<http://www.unescap.org/EDC/English/AnnualReports/2011-Resolutions-H Increased technical capacity of countries in the region to effectively use vital statistics

4 The Regional Strategic Plan supports national action to improving CRVS systems by bringing countries and development partners together to share knowledge, experience and resources It aims to raise awareness

of the benefits and feasibility of improving CRVS systems, particularly for developing countries, and the regional support that is available from many development partners that cover a wide range of issues and perspectives

5 Reflecting the multi-sectoral nature of CRVS systems, the Regional Strategic Plan brings together relevant government stakeholders, including civil registration offices, national statistics offices (NSOs), and ministries of health, as well as civil society Improved coordination and collaboration within countries, and amongst development partners, is both the means and an expected outcome of the Regional Strategic Plan

6 The Regional Strategic Plan recognizes that improving the quality, coverage and efficiency of CRVS systems is increasingly feasible due to the availability of advanced technologies, resource kits, tools and methods, and a better understanding of how they can be applied.3 For example information and communication technologies (ICT), such as mobile technology, have the potential to facilitate lower cost, speedier and higher quality collection, transmission, storage and dissemination of data, as well as serving to overcome the physical and logistical challenges of civil registration in remote, isolated, small island and mountainous areas

THE ROLE OF CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEMS

7 Civil registration consists of the compulsory, permanent, continuous and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events.4 For individuals, civil registration systems are a unique and critical service Through the official recording of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoption, individuals have the documentary evidence on which to base claims of identity and family relationships, legal status, and ensuing rights, and secure access to services such as health, education, social welfare and protection Legal proof of identity brings individuals into the modern economy by enabling them to seek employment, exercise electoral rights, claim inheritance, transmit property, open bank accounts, access credits, obtain passports and get driving licenses

8 Universal civil registration is crucial because it helps safeguard human rights Every individual has the right to a documentary evidence of identity from birth, and for that proof of identity to be securely registered and to publicly recognize relationships with family and significant others In March 2012, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council reaffirmed, "…the human right of everyone to be recognized everywhere as a person before the law…”5 Moreover, by providing legal and social identity to individuals, civil registration enables individuals to access benefits, as internationally agreed on, inter alia, in the United Nations Millennium

3 HISHub, 2012, Strengthening practice and systems in civil registration and vital statistics: A Resource Kit, University of Queensland: Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub Working Paper Series, No 19, available at < http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/docs/WP_19.pdf >

4 A system of civil registration includes all institutional, legal and technical settings needed to perform the civil registration functions in a technically sound, coordinated and standardized manner throughout the country, taking into account cultural and social circumstances particular to the country Source: UNSD, 1973, Handbook on Training in Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, UN publication, Sales No 02.XVII.10, available at

<http://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/SeriesF/SeriesF_73E.pdf>

<http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/RES/19/9>

Declaration and the Declaration on the Right to Development In this regard, civil registration is especially important for individuals in poverty, migrants, ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups

9 Civil registration systems generate administrative data that can be compiled to produce vital statistics that serve the needs of multiple sectors A well-functioning civil registration system that records vital events such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions is the most effective and efficient data source of vital statistics.8 Unlike other sources of vital statistics, such as censuses or household surveys, CRVS systems generates statistics on population dynamics and health indicators on a continuous basis for the country as a whole and at a local level for its administrative sub-divisions

10 Vital statistics generated from civil registration significantly contribute to the formulation of effective and efficient evidence-based policy across multiple sectors Reliable information on births and deaths permit the calculation and production of timely and accurate population estimates and other demographic and health statistics, which are some of the most basic requirements for effective policy-making, efficient resource allocation, and accurate evaluation and monitoring

11 Well-functioning CRVS systems enhance the credibility of national and local administrators and their capacity to deliver services by helping them to identify what services are needed and by whom When of high quality, vital statistics allow governments and donors to consider the direction of resources to the areas of most need within a country, and allow citizens, governments and donors to evaluate the use of scarce resources

THE IMPETUS FOR REGIONAL ACTION Aligning with a growing global movement

12 In 2000, the World’s leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration9, which emphasized, the link between human rights, good governance and development The global commitment to the Millennium Declaration, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were subsequently established, has led to increased recognition of the critical need for reliable, continuous and comparable vital statistics to monitor progress, and created momentum to improve these data As the World gets closer to 2015, attention is mounting towards understanding and addressing the challenges posed by the post-MDG development agenda, especially related to human rights, equity, sustainable development and access to basic services With this attention, it is becoming even more apparent that the long neglect of CRVS systems in some countries has had

a detrimental impact on their ability to develop and monitor targeted development policies

13 Launched in 2010, the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health (COIA) was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the request of the UN Secretary-General The COIA’s 2011 report recommended that all countries, as a priority, increase their efforts to strengthen their CRVS systems.10 The COIA is focusing its support on 74 high-priority countries globally, of

6 See UN General Assembly resolution 55/2, available at <http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.pdf >

7 See UN General Assembly resolution 41/128, annex, available at

<http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/41/a41r128.htm>

8 UNSD, 2001, Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System , Revision 2 , U N p ublication, Sales No 01.XVI.10, available at

<h ttp://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/SeriesM/SeriesM_19rev2E.pdf >

9 Chapter V, see footnote 5

10 WHO, 2011, Keeping promises, measuring results: Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health,

<http://www.everywomaneverychild.org/images/content/files/accountability_commission/final_report/Final_EN_Web.pdf

>

which 20 are in Asia and the Pacific The Health Metrics Network (HMN) – a global partnership of countries, development agencies and the private sector12 to strengthen health information systems – is the global lead partner for implementing this recommendation

14 At the Fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2011, the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS 21) presented the Busan Action Plan

for Statistics that recognized that, “Reliable and accessible statistics provide the evidence needed to improve decision making, document results, and heighten public accountability.”

13

The first of five action points called on countries to, “…address weaknesses in vital registration systems and data critical for monitoring program performance – including administrative data, sex disaggregated data, and geospatial information.”14 PARIS 21 is, with the support of HMN, drafting implementation arrangements, which will include actions

to improve CRVS systems

15 A regional initiative to improve CRVS systems is already well underway in Africa The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) sponsored a series of ministerial meetings and expert working groups on CRVS in 2010 and 2011, developing a regional Medium Term Plan (MTP) for 2010-2015 to support reforms and improve CRVS systems in Africa.15 The MTP guides countries and regional and international organizations in managing interventions and monitoring the progress made in strengthening CRVS systems in Africa Most recently, in September 2012, the Second Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration urged all ECA member States to undertake an in-depth assessment

of their CRVS systems and to develop national action plans for improvement.16

16 The Americas is also undertaking a comparable regional initiative The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been implementing a Regional Plan of Action for Strengthening Vital and Health Statistics17 since 2008 as part of broader efforts to strengthen health information systems in that region

17 In the much of the Pacific sub-region of Asia and the Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has developed the Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy 2011-2020 Improving CRVS is one of four priority areas of Phase I of this strategy Subsequently, the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan 2011-2014 was developed

11 Including: Afghanistan; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Cambodia; China; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; India; Indonesia; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Solomon Islands; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; and Viet Nam

12 A complete list of partners is available at <http://www.who.int/healthmetrics/network/partners/en/index.html>

13 PARIS 21, 2011, Statistics for Transparency, Accountability, and Results: A Busan Action Plan for Statistics, available at

by eleven development partners that form the Brisbane Accord Group (BAG) in consultation with fifteen Pacific countries.19 The BAG’s objectives are to coordinate, facilitate and support vital statistics (specifically births, deaths and cause-of-death) investments in the region through collaborative activities

The realities on the ground

18 Many countries in Asia and the Pacific cannot meet minimum international standards in vital statistics.20 Registration coverage is often incomplete, vital events are not recorded properly and registration records do not reach the vital statistics system in a timely manner Even when vital statistics are available, they are often not adequately used to guide decision-making As a result, many countries have resorted to using alternative sources of data on vital events, such as population censuses, household sample surveys, and health and demographic surveillance in sentinel sites or sample registration systems to generate vital statistics Although these sources do provide important information on vital events, they cannot replace civil registration records as a source of data that is available on a continuous and universal basis and that is disaggregated to a level that enables decision makers to identify marginalized groups and vulnerable areas Moreover, these sources do not bring the legal and human rights benefits of civil registration.21

19 As of September 2012, thirty-five countries in Asia and the Pacific have conducted a rapid assessment of their CRVS systems with overall scores ranging from 11 per cent to 96 per cent, revealing the wide variation across the region Five countries22 in the region have completed or are close to completing a comprehensive assessment, and an additional eleven countries23 are at various stages of that process The assessments are being conducted using standards-based tools24 developed by the University of Queensland Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub (HISHub)25 and WHO Annex 2 contains an overview of the rapid self-assessment results

18 Australian Bureau of Statistics; Fiji National University; Pacific Health Information Network; Queensland University of Technology; Secretariat of the Pacific Community; UN Children’s Fund; UN Population Fund; University of New South Wales Human Resources for Health Knowledge Hub; University of Queensland; University of Queensland Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub; and World Health Organization

19 An outline of the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan is available at Group/vital-stats-outline-final.pdf>

<http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/docs/Brisbane-Accord-20 Mikkelsen, L., 2010, Rapid assessment of vital statistics systems: Evaluation of the application of the WHO/ HISHub tool in 26 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, University of Queensland: Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub Working Paper Series, No 10, available at <http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/docs/WP10/HISHUB-WP10-08-WEB-8Mar12.pdf>

21 See footnote 4

22 Indonesia; Maldives; Philippines; Sri Lanka; and Timor-Leste

23 Bangladesh; Cambodia; India; Kyrgyzstan; Lao PDR; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Tajikistan; and Thailand

24 WHO and HISHub, 2010, Rapid assessment methods for vital statistics systems, University of Queensland: Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub Working Paper Series, No 2, available at

<http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/docs/WP02/WP_02.pdf> WHO and HISHub, 2010, Improving the quality of birth, death and cause-of-death information: guidance for a standards-based review of country practices, University of Queensland: Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub Working Paper Series, No 1, available at

<http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/docs/WP01/WP_01.pdf>

25 HISHub is one of four knowledge hubs for health funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) that work with development partners committed to supporting the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific More information is available at <http://www.uq.edu.au/hishub/>

20 Based on the tool’s classifications, only eleven, or less than one-third, of the thirty-five countries in the region to have taken the rapid self-assessment possess satisfactory CRVS systems that require only minor adjustments 37 per cent of countries have CRVS systems that are classified as weak or dysfunctional

21 Other concerning conclusions can be drawn from the rapid self-assessments conducted thus far in Asia and the Pacific With regards to CRVS systems infrastructure, 55 per cent of countries have issues with inadequate equipment for civil registration offices to carry out their functions and the same number had insufficient training In terms of completeness of registration, 37 and 46 per cent of countries respectively reported that coverage of birth and death registration was below 90 per cent 19 per cent of countries reported that there was absolutely no training on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and death certification given to doctors 44 per cent of countries indicated that there was little interagency coordination

or the coordination in place had consequences such as data quality issues, bottlenecks and duplications of work

22 The findings of the rapid self-assessments confirm the urgency of the Regional Strategic Plan Leveraging regional diversity

23 The regional approach that characterizes the Regional Strategic Plan is motivated by the huge diversity in the state of development and maturity of CRVS systems among countries in Asia and the Pacific The rapid self-assessment results only demonstrate a fraction of those disparities In some countries, CRVS systems are well-established and complete, covering all persons and generating both reliable legal documentation and sound vital statistics At the other extreme, in some countries, CRVS systems are barely functioning and serve neither the needs of individuals for legal documentation nor the needs of governments and economic and social sectors for statistical information It is disconcerting that in some settings, the coverage and quality of CRVS have declined, especially among poor and marginalized populations

24 For the Regional Strategic Plan, the extent of diversity in Asia and the Pacific presents an opportunity

to draw upon and share a wealth of experience and knowledge to facilitate CRVS capacity development in the region The Regional Strategic Plan will establish a regional platform that has been designed to catalyze the sharing of expertise from across the region and globally It will achieve this by stimulating and fostering partnerships, networking and collaboration to more effectively leverage obtainable resources for the benefit

of the 61 per cent of the world’s population who consider Asia and the Pacific their home

25 Given the overall socio-economic development of Asia and the Pacific over the past half-century, and the modernization in areas of public policy and administration, the current reality of poor or declining CRVS systems in the region must be addressed as soon as possible The benefits of improving CRVS systems are indisputable and far outweigh the costs

Building regional momentum

26 As established earlier, the Regional Strategic Plan is part of a global movement stimulated by increased recognition of the value of CRVS as an important national resource for individuals and society in every country The heightened commitment of a wide range of development partners has made an array of resources and targeted initiatives available that promote the development and improvement of CRVS both globally and also specifically in Asia and the Pacific

27 The Regional Strategic Plan is a broad initiative driven by practitioners, governments and the development community This initiative began in February 2009 at the first session of the UN Economic and

Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Committee on Statistics, which noted the urgent need for improving CRVS systems in the region As a result, in June 2010, the ESCAP secretariat, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), University of Queensland Health Information Systems Hub (HISHub) and WHO, organized a regional forum of development partners and representatives from civil registration offices, NSOs and ministries of heath of twenty countries that explored ways and means of improving CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific

28 Based on the call from the first session of the Committee on Statistics and the recommendations of the regional forum, the Committee on Statistics, at its second session in December 2010, endorsed the main components of a proposed regional programme for improving CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific and requested the ESCAP secretariat to fully develop the regional programme in close collaboration with countries and other relevant development partners

29 In May 2011, the 67th ESCAP Commission endorsed resolution 67/1226, calling upon all member and associate member States to review and assess the functioning of their CRVS systems, and for the results of those assessments to be utilized by all stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive national strategies or plans to improve CRVS systems The resolution requested the ESCAP Secretariat, in close collaboration with development partners, to coordinate and harmonize global, regional and country resources

to support these efforts

30 ESCAP resolution 67/12 also requested that the ESCAP secretariat and partners convene a regional High-level Meeting with the objective of raising awareness and fostering increased commitment to improving CRVS in Asia and the Pacific The resolution called for the participation of government decision-makers from civil registration offices, NSOs and ministries of health, as well as the development partners including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, bi-lateral and multi-lateral development agencies, regional development banks, intergovernmental bodies and academic institutions

A BROAD DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

31 Epitomizing the diverse development interests in and commitment for improving CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific, the twenty partners are contributing to the regional initiative that surrounds the Regional Strategic Plan Annex 3 presents the mandate and contributions of partners for the Regional Strategic Plan

32 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Health Metrics Network (HMN); International Organization for Migration (IOM) Asia and Pacific Regional Office; Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21); Plan International; Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women; Royal Thai Government (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Public Health and National Statistical Office); Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC); Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations (UNSD); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Centre; United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Bangkok; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); University of Queensland: Health Information System Knowledge Hub (HISHub);United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN); and World Health Organization (WHO)

26 See footnote 1