Adoption of new Human Rights Council Resolution on birth registration

At its 52nd session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted, without a vote, its Resolution on birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. This new HRC resolution is the result of a process of comprehensive drafting and consultations with States and non-governmental organisations, including Child Identity Protection (CHIP), led by the Permanent Missions of Mexico and Türkiye.

CHIP welcomes this renewed focus on the importance of birth registration, as a right and as a key action towards universally protecting the rights of all children to identity and their access to a number of other rights. Furthermore, the creation and preservation of a child’s identity, including access to origins, and the prevention of deprivation of elements of his or her identity are strongly linked to a solid operational birth registration and general civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system.

Thus, the implementation of the Resolution will undoubtedly contribute to the achievement of SDG Target 16.9 on legal identity by 2030 and will build on the work of the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda.

See: Human Rights Council. Birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. A/HRC/52/L.23. 27 March 2023. Available at: https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/52/L.23.