Problems Related to the Implementation of Child’s Right Birth Registration in Burundi: Proposing Their Remedies
Ildephonse Sindayigaya
Abstract
The second paragraph of Article 6 of the African Charter on the right and welfare of the child obliges its States parties to register birth immediately. Birth registration is a key to other children’s rights. In conjugation with UNICEF-Burundi, the State made an effort to attain birth registration completeness. Children’s non-registration undermines all children’s rights. The analysis through this research uses documentary methods and interviews. Civil servants do not know birth registration is a children’s right. About 38% of born children in hospitals and health centers are not registered immediately at birth. To avoid children’s non-registration, Burundi needs to apply systems used successfully in other countries like Kenya and Liberia as digitalization by mobile phone registration and decentralization. It is useful for Burundi to initiate sensitization of the civil servants and population about the usefulness of birth registration and apply interconnection between hospitals and civil status office data in the field.