International Commission on Civil Status – Convention No. 34
The ICCS Convention (No. 34) on the issue of multilingual and coded extracts from civil-status records and multilingual and coded civil-status certificates signed at Strasbourg on 14 March 2014 entered into force on July 1, 2022 between Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. This text facilitates the circulation and the understanding of civil status documents.
Uniform models of extracts of civil status documents are annexed to the convention. They are accepted in all the Contracting States with probative force, without legalisation or any equivalent formality. A translation is not required due to the use of the coding system. A code number is assigned to each mention that appears on the model. The translations in different languages can be found on the back or on the second page of the model document. This is why the convention can be considered as a major asset in the cross-border circulation of information in matters of civil status.
Extracts from record of birth and from record of acknowledgment are especially concerned. A main innovation must be underlined. The development of same-sex marriage and partnership is, for the first time, taken into account. Thus, the extracts can mention two fathers or two mothers.
A control mechanism has also been set up by Convention No. 34. In case of serious doubt about an act, a verification request can be sent directly to the issuing authority, without going through an intermediate authority or through hierarchical channels. The same rule applies to responses. This procedure allows, in addition to verifying the authenticity of the document, also to request verification of its content.
Child Identity Protection welcomes Convention No. 34 as it facilitates the recognition of civil status documents across borders, which helps preserve the child’s right to identity in multi-country contexts, a much-needed legal instrument in this day of increased mobility.
Source: https://www.ciec1.org/convention-34-presentation-fr
