NEW DELHI: Emphasising the need to advocate birth registration across the country, the UNICEF representative in India, Cecilio Adorna, on Friday said both non-government and civil society organisations can play a crucial role in strengthening the hand of the Government in improving birth registration services.

Speaking at a conclave here on "Promoting Government: Civil Society Partnerships to achieve Universal Birth Registration", Mr. Adorna said partnerships between NGOs and civil society organisations have played a facilitative role in dissemination of knowledge and information on birth registration to the most marginalised communities.

Pointing out that one of the biggest challenges in rural areas was that of registering births, Mr. Adorna said NGOs and civil society organisations could help address this challenge by convincing people to opt for institutional deliveries -- where support is adequate both for the mother and the newborn.

Speaking on the occasion, Registrar General and Census Commissioner (India) D. K. Sikri said birth registration in the country had reached nearly 64 per cent in 2005. "But we still need to raise awareness and further improve the registration system to reach the goal of universalisation," he added.

Stating that the Government was planning to initiate several measures to achieve 100 per cent birth registration in India by 2010, Mr. Sikri said the Centre was discussing proposals for amending the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, including increasing the period for delayed birth registration without affidavit to simplify the procedure and special provisions to reach out to adopted children and street children.

"States like Kerala and West Bengal have achieved 100 per cent registration, in Bihar and Jharkhand it is at the level of 0-30 per cent. Enhancing the accountability of the States is the need of the hour", he added.

Describing birth registration as the first right of the child, Plan India Country Director Roland Angerer said: "If you are not registered, you don't exist -- legally speaking. Our campaign aims both at raising awareness of the duty-bearers -- family, community and state -- and at giving children their basic right to identity and citizenship in the form of a birth certificate."

Stating that the strategy was to focus on social mobilisation at national and grassroots levels, Mr. Angerer said all stakeholders, including parents, young people, local government functionaries from auxiliary nurse midwives to panchayat leaders, the media as well as local and national leaders would be involved to promote universal birth registration.

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