According to a report issued on 20th October by the United Nations Children’s Fund or UNICEF, three out of 10 children under five in Myanmar have not been registered.

“Free and universal birth registration is the first right of the child and a stepping stone to enjoy other rights such as the right to health, education and protection,” said Mr Bertrand Bainvel UNICEF Representative to Myanmar on the occasion of Birth Registration Week that runs from Monday to Friday.

Myanmar’s unregistered number around 1.6 million children and wide differences across the country are apparent. While unsurprisingly most children in Yangon are registered, 76 per cent of children in Chin State, 43 per cent of children in Magway, and 11 per cent of children in Mon State do not possess a birth certificate. Children who are less likely to be registered include children of migrants and children who do not live with their parents, according to the report.

The national Birth Registration Week is a collaborative effort by the government ministries of Immigration and Population, National Planning and Economic Development, Health, and Home Affairs, and UNICEF, with financial support from the European Union. It focuses on unregistered children in Chin State, Mon State and Magway Region, building awareness of the importance of birth registration.

Free birth certificates are being issued to unregistered children under five in a bid to promote children’s rights, according UNICEF, which has worked with Myanmar since 1950.

During Birth Registration Week, local officials are working together to identify unregistered children and to issue these children birth certificates.

According to UNICEF, possessing a birth certificate enables the fulfillment of a range of children’s rights including access to education and health services. Knowing a person’s age is central to protecting children from child labour, forcible conscription in armed forces, child marriage and trafficking, and for ensuring children are dealt with appropriately by the justice system. The existence of a birth certificate supports the tracing and repatriation of children who have been trafficked.

U Win Myint, deputy Union Minister for Immigration and Population, said: “We are now implementing the Birth Registration Week in Myanmar, with the aim of strengthening the birth registration system at every level - central, sub-national, regional and state level. The long term aim is to achieve a comprehensive civil registration system.”