Title: A significant step towards universal identification: the increase in registrations of children in civil status in the DRC
In a promising development for the identification of citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the territory of Bulungu, located in Kwilu province, has recorded a significant increase in the number of children registered in the civil registry. Indeed, for the first time in several years, the Bulungu civil status office recorded 1,439 children in 2023, an increase of 419 compared to the previous year.
This remarkable progress is the result of combined efforts, in particular by the opening of secondary branches of the civil status service in health structures in the region, including at the Bulungu general referral hospital. The civil status officer, Jean-Marie Saka-Saka, stressed the importance of raising awareness among parents through community relays. These highlight the advantages of registering a child in the civil registry, thus helping to increase awareness around this essential process.
This laudable initiative has received support from human rights activists, who see the increase in child registrations as a step towards universal identification across the country. Paulin Kintey, one of these activists, strongly encourages the continuation and extension of these actions in other regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to guarantee each citizen the fundamental right to a legal and recognized identity.
The collective effort deployed in Bulungu demonstrates the desire to improve access to identification for the entire Congolese population, highlighting the crucial importance of civil registration to guarantee access to social services, protect children’s rights and strengthen social inclusion. This encouraging development paves the way for increased awareness of the importance of civil status and legal identity within Congolese society, thus contributing to the construction of a more equitable and inclusive future for all. citizens.
Please feel free to check out the following articles on related topics:
– “The impact of civil registration on access to social services in Africa”
– “The challenges of identifying unregistered children: the case of the DRC”
– “How community relays contribute to raising awareness about civil registration in Africa”
This significant progress in Bulungu underlines the importance of collective action to guarantee all Congolese citizens the right to a legal and recognized identity, and marks a first step towards universal identification throughout the country.