UNICEF awards Subang for birth registration law

UNICEF awards Subang for birth registration law

Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) awarded officials in
Subang, West Java on Tuesday for the introduction of a local
legislation on free birth registration in the regency.

"More than half of Indonesian children under the age of five
are not officially registered, despite the fact that birth
registration is a fundamental right of every child.

"This makes children vulnerable to age-related abuse,
exploitation and discrimination," said UNICEF chief of advocacy
and social mobilization John Budd in a statement.

He was present on behalf of UNICEF representative in Indonesia
Gianfranco Rotigliano during the 57th commemoration of Subang
regency's anniversary.

The awards were given to the Subang regent and Subang council
speaker.

According to the National Socio-Economic Survey 2001, less
than half of Indonesian children under the age of five are
officially registered, 24 percent in West Java and 17 percent in
Subang.
This places the country 19th on the list of nation's with the
lowest rates of birth registration, much lower than the
Philippines (84 percent), Thailand (96 percent) and Malaysia (98
percent).

Speaking at the award ceremony, Budd said that birth
registration is the only permanent official record of a child's
existence -- proof that the government recognizes the child and
acknowledges its responsibilities toward the child.

"If a sizable proportion of children are never registered,
such children may be excluded from government plans to provide
adequate schooling, health and recreational facilities for
children in other laws and regulations," he said.

Birth registration is a link to other essential rights
including access to quality education and to health care, as well
as allowing the greater protection of children at risk of being
trafficked or at risk of being exploited, including commercial
sexual exploitation.

The registration also allows for proper care and consideration
for children in contact with the law, by ensuring that they are
recognized as children and are handled as such by the juvenile
justice system.

According to UNICEF, Subang regency is one of the few
regencies that have implemented the Child Protection Law by
introducing local legislations to ensure the non-discriminatory
registration of every child born in this regency.

The system allows civil registration offices to work in
coordination with other related sectors, such as health
professionals, universities, bureaus of statistics and offices of
religious service to ensure that every birth is registered
properly.

"It is an inspiration and model for other regencies," Budd
said. "This model highlights Subang's commitment and proof of its
'Children First' strategy at work.

"However, further national-level legislation and guidelines on
a national-level civil registration and vital statistics system
are still needed to ensure the continuous and permanent
registration of all vital events -- including births. This
requires political commitment, a comprehensive legal framework
and the capacity to implement it throughout all regencies in
Indonesia," Budd said.