Intensive virtual program on birth registration successfully held

11 September, Kathmandu. Intensive virtual program on birth registration was successfully organized today with the theme “Promotion of Child Friendly Local Governance; ensure birth registration of every child”.

Under Secretary of Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Mr. Krishna Prashad Bhusal presented on the role of the Ministry for ensuring complete birth registration. Stating that birth registration of all children, focusing on orphan, abandoned, LGBTIQ and all the marginalized children should be ensured, he said that some of the existing constraints in policy and implementation level needs to be solved through rigorous discussion.

Director of Civil Registration section from Department of National ID and Civil Registration, Mr. Yubaraj Katel, provided presentation on existing legal provisions for complete birth registration as well as registration of other personal events, challenges in their implementation and solutions. His presentation created a common understanding regarding the birth registration among the participants. Highlighting the importance of ensuring complete documentation during registration, he also stressed that children born in every circumstances should be provided with the registration in the lead of Local Government.

Similarly, the Executive Director of National Child Rights Council Mr. Milan Raj Dharel provided his inputs on various matters of birth registration. He said that birth registration is the primary rights of children as it is the first provision to establish the national identity of children. Moreover, he said that along with some defects in the policy level, the negligence in the implementation level has deprived many children from getting their birth registration.

The program was moderated by Mr. Tilottam Paudel, coordinator of National CFLG Forum, National Coalition for Girls Rights as well as president of Social Protection Civil Society Network. Mr. Ashok Khanal, representative of member organizations of National CFLG Forum, provided welcome remarks and clarification on the objectives of the program on behalf of the organizers.

The program organized by National Child Friendly Local Governance Forum (NCFLGF) in coordination with Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), Social Protection Civil Society Network (SPCSN) as well as National Coalition for Girls Rights( NCGR) and support of World Vision International Nepal (WVIN) was able to accommodate 200 participants representing elected representatives from 42 Local Government, Chief Administrative Officers, development partners like World Vision International Nepal ,Save the Children, Plan International, Good Neighbours International, Civil society organizations and more than 15 child rights networks like NACG Nepal, CZOP, National Coalition for Girls Rights, Consortium, National Action and Coordination Group (NACG) Education watch, C-NET and so on.

Open floor discussion was facilitated in the program where the participants shared their queries to the presenters, as well as views and opinions. Placing their queries, Nirmala K.C, Rajesh Sharma, Maheshwor Ghimire, Charimaya Tamang, Yam Bahadur Madeshi, Bhumika Shrestha, ward presidents like Aman Maharjan , Kancha Bhai Maharjan and various other representatives shared their queries and constraints faced. . The participants urged not to deprive any children from birth registration in the name of documents and policies. Mr. Yubaraj Katel, Mr. Krishana Prasad Bhusal and Mr. Milan Dharel addressed the concerns of the participants in the open floor.