Birth Registration - UNHCR Global Field Survey on Policies and Practices

Birth registration represents the first legal recognition of a child’s existence. International human rights law institutes this right and prescribes that children should have their birth registered as early as possible and without discrimination. A birth certificate indicates who the child is, who his/her parents are and where he/she is born - essential when determining the nationality of a child and preventing statelessness.
Registering a child’s birth impacts his/her rights and protection and acts as a gateway to both essential services and other identity documentation throughout childhood and into adulthood.
This report highlights some of the common obstacles UNHCR faces in its work to ensure that every refugee child is registered at birth. The mapping conducted covers over 100 countries, and provides a clear overview of legal frameworks and birth registration practices and procedures. It also highlights some of the many good practices of field staff, illustrating how birth
registration for refugee children can be achieved.