Global Calendar of Statistical Events

Description: The Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific will be held from 24 to 26 June 2025, at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand.

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Description: Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: The Second meeting of the South-East Asia Civil Registration Professionals Network will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 14-16 January 2025. The meeting is organized to support and encourage progress towards meeting commitments by governments in Asia and the Pacific to the shared vision as contained in the Ministerial Declaration to “Get Every One in the Picture”. The meeting will facilitate discussions on key CRVS achievements in South-East Asia which will be highlighted at the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific (24-26 June 2025) and at the South-East Asia sub-regional forum to be held on 23 June 2025. The discussions will also include a focus on digitalization of registration systems, inclusivity and resilience in civil registration and vital statistics systems as well as the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The Government of Cambodia will host visits to relevant registration facilities and health centres. The first meeting of the SEA Civil Registrars Network was held in Manila, Philippines on 7-9 February 2023.

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Description: Side Event of the 9th Session of the Committee on StatisticsDate and time: 11 December 2024, 13:00-14:00 hrsRegistration: All in-person participants must complete the registration form to attend the 9th session of the Committee on Statistics via IndicoObjective:The side event will facilitate discussion on the importance of digitalization to achieve universal registration of vital events. It will further, discuss ongoing efforts of countries to advance the digitalization of simplified and proactive CRVS business processes as part of government wide digital transformation efforts. Participants will also learn about ongoing use of civil registration data for evidence based policies. Further, the side event will provide participants with an overview of plans for the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS to be held 24-26 June 2025.Distinguished SpeakersModerator: Petra Nahmias, Chief, Population and Social Statistics Section, Statistics Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).She previously led the statistics team at UNHCR, working on a wide variety of statistical and demographic issues related to forced displacement and statelessness. A sociologist-demographer by training, she has further experience in both the international and national statistical systems including the United Nations Population Division, the UK Department for International Development and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development .Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed obtained his Bachelor in Town and Country Planning from the University of Manchester and his PhD in Planning Studies from the University College London. He has worked in various roles in the Government of the Maldives and was appointed as the Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development in 2023. H.E. Mr. Siromi Turaga, Minister for Justice, Fiji.H.E. Mr. Siromi Turaga, appointed in June 2024, and previously served as Attorney General and Minister for Justice since December 2022, is a lawyer and politician who brings over 30 years of legal and public service experience. He has served as a Resident Magistrate, Principal Legal Officer, and legal consultant, specializing in criminal, civil, family, and land matters. A practicing Barrister and Solicitor since 1999, Hon. Turaga holds a Bachelor of Law and Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from USP, along with specialized diplomas in Litigation and Refugee Law. He is also a Methodist Lay Preacher, actively engaged in community programs, and is married with four children.Haishan Fu, Chief Statistician, World Bank and Director of the World Bank’s Development Data Group.She leads the development and implementation of the World Bank’s data agenda, overseeing initiatives like the World Development Indicators, Statistical Performance Indicators, and the Development Data Hub. Haishan co-chairs the Data for Countries and Global Priorities working group and oversees the Global Data Facility. She has played key roles in global statistical efforts, including the UN Data Revolution group and the International Statistical Institute. Before joining the World Bank, she held leadership positions at UNESCAP and UNDP. She holds a Ph.D. in Demography from Princeton University and a B.A. in Economics from Peking University. Tanja Brøndsted Sejersen, Statistician, Statistics Division, ESCAP.She leads the Asia- Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) initiative to ‘Get Every One in the Picture’. Her work involves capacity building activities and collaboration with partners to support country action to improve national statistical systems. She has academic qualifications in demography, statistics and political science. She has conducted research on citizenship legislation and various aspects of civil registration and vital statistics.

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Description: The Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific will take place from 24-26 June 2025 in Bangkok. This high-level event will be organised by ESCAP in coordination with other partners. Considering the importance that civil society organisations (CSO) play in raising awareness among populations and advocating for more efficient CRVS systems, a Civil Society Forum is being organised in March 2025. This will be complemented by country-level pre-consultations with CSOs. ESCAP and GHAI, supported by Vital Strategies, will host the pre-consultation event for Cambodia in conjunction with our roundtable. The event is scheduled for 3 December afternoon from 2-5pm.CSOs can register their interest in this event here.The engagement with young people and CSOs's detail can be found here.

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Description: 2024 Q4 Meeting of the Civil Registration Professionals of South Asia (CR8) The objectives of this virtual quarterly CR8 meeting are to (1) share country experience on developing a M&E plan and system, and (2) highlight the 2025 review of progress in implementing the RAF including the process and timeline associated with the completion of the 2025 review questionnaire. The meeting also provides an opportunity for CR8 members to ask questions and seek clarification on the questionnaire as well. The meeting will be held virtually via MS Teams on 25 November 2024 at 15:00-16:30, Bangkok time. The modality of the meeting will mainly be presentations followed by Q&As.RegistrationTo join MS-Teams meeting: click HEREThe previous Q3 meeting of CR8 and the documents can be found here.

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Description: You are invited to join the UNLIA webinar featuring Mikiko Otani, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. She will share insights from the CRC Committee’s recent observations to various countries, highlighting common challenges and gaps in achieving universal birth registration. Please refer to the attached note for more details. Date and Time:  22 November 2024 at 8:00-9:00 am ESTRegistration Link:  https://unicef.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3roQ5yCSTfC_LB-ak32quwAgenda:    TimeTopic8:00-8:05Opening remarks by Kirsten Di Martino, Senior Adviser, Child Protection, UNICEF HQ8:05-8:35The Convention on the Rights of the Child and Universal Birth Registration: Mikiko Otani, Member, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child8:35-9:00Discussion: moderated by Bhaskar Mishra, CRVS and Legal Identity Specialist, UNICEF HQ

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Description: CRVS team will organise the side event on 19 November 2024 at The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30. The side event is on Inclusion of Gender Diversity in Gender Equality Efforts: Focus on CRVS and legal identity organised by our partners at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health. This side event will establish the critical need for gender inclusivity in gender equality efforts, starting with legal identity through access to civil registration systems. Recording of the meeting can be watched here.

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Description: This side event, in connection with the main 4th Global Expert Forum event, is jointly organized by ESCAP, UNEP and ECE, to explore the nexus between disaster related statistics and civil registration and vital statistics systems, including the use of civil registration to support the production of disaster-related statistics. Date: 1 November 2024Venue: United Nations Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Format:  Mainly in-person, with the possibility of online presentations.Duration of the event: 3 hoursParticipants: All participants attending the expert forum and interested participants from the African StatCOM and UN-GGIM: Africa

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Description: The webinar, organized by the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), will explore the concept of time as a crucial integrating element in social and demographic statistics. The event will address best practices for data collection and dissemination frequencies, the importance of longitudinal data and life course approaches in understanding social outcomes, and propose mechanisms to ensure the adaptability and relevance of demographic and social statistics over time.
Key themes include managing trade-offs between timeliness and resource constraints, understanding social outcomes through life course transitions, and incorporating generational measures to reflect societal changes. The webinar aims to foster comprehensive discussions and generate recommendations that enhance the collection, analysis, and dissemination of demographic and social statistics.

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Description: Join this insightful webinar organized by the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics (FOC), in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), exploring the critical role of location, geography, and places in social and demographic statistics. The places where people grow up, live and work significantly influence their lives, revealing disparities and informing policy through place-based breakdowns and geo-spatial analysis. This session will also discuss how geography acts as a crosscutting element, integrating various data sources and linking different statistical domains. Key topics include the use of georeferenced data, the potential of satellite imagery, and techniques like small area estimation to address data gaps. The discussion will highlight national perspectives and user demands, showcasing examples of how 'place' can predict social outcomes and enhance data dissemination through geoportals.

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Description: This sprint, the second in a series of online events organized by the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), is an opportunity to take stock of and review essential elements for developing and maintaining population data systems fit for current and future data demands. Indeed, countries are expected to significantly transform their data collection and processing systems, by adopting digital-first, multi-mode methods, increasing utilization of geospatial information and administrative data sources, and developing strategies to address and adapt to potential shocks and disruptions. Against this background, this sprint will discuss both current and emerging practices to enhance the quality of population statistics and will address ongoing challenges and the growing need for integrated data sources, innovative methods, and techniques to meet diverse data demands effectively.

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Description: Provisional Programme Concept note (English | 中文) Self-Assessment Tool on the Readiness to Use Administrative Data for Census (SATRAC) (Excel file) Objectives and Outcomes The workshop aims to strengthen participants’ capacity on how to better use administrative data to support the census. The objectives of the workshop are to: Provide an overview of the different potential uses of administrative data sources for the census. Discuss the concepts, features, preconditions, considerations, challenges, opportunities, and processes involved in the use of administrative data sources for census purposes. Discuss the self-assessment tool on the readiness to use administrative data for census purposes. Introduce the “Generic model for the transition from a traditional census to register-based approaches”. Draft potential approaches to increase the use of administrative data for censuses in participating countries. Exchange experience and learn from participating countries. Resources This workshop builds upon the Regional Training Workshop on Transition to Register-based Approaches for Population and Housing Censuses. Some of the key resources for this workshop include: UNFPA Register-Based Census eLearning Course United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Guidelines on the use of registers and administrative data for population and housing censuses. United Nations, New York and Geneva, 2018. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Guidelines for assessing the quality of administrative sources for use in censuses. United Nations, Geneva, 2021. United Nations Statistics Division. Handbook on Registers-Based Population and Housing Censuses, 2022. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Emerging Trends in Census Approaches in Asia and the Pacific – with country examples. United Nations, Bangkok, 2022. ESCAP Stats Briefs: Tapping into administrative data in census-taking: an emerging trend in Asia and the Pacific (2022) Are population censuses in Asia and the Pacific evolving? (2021) Population registers: a key resource for producing vital statistics (2020)

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Description: The event served as a platform for policy advocacy based on findings from key initiatives aimed at improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and leveraging CRVS-related evidence to inform gender-sensitive policies in Fiji. The report of the Assessment, Analysis & Redesign of Civil Registration & Vital Statistics (CRVS) Processes in Fiji as well as two policy briefs (i) An Intersectional Profile of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji were disseminated to key stakeholders and (ii) Target Groups for Addressing Disparities in On-Time Birth Registration were disseminated to national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health & Medical Services, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, the Ministry of Women, Children & Social Protection as well as other national agencies and development partners. The event was attended by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Siromi Turaga. Preparations towards the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, to be held from 24 to 26 June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, were also launched in the presence of the honorable Minister of Justice. The event highlighted significant advancements and set the stage for continued progress in CRVS and gender-sensitive policy-making in Fiji. Report: Assessment, Analysis and Redesign of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Processes in Fiji Policy Brief: Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji Policy Brief: Addressing Disparities in On-Time Birth Registration       , HOME - Project: CRVS E2A for Gender Policy Project countries: Bangladesh Fiji Events

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Description: The second session of two-part series to be held on Monday, 2 September 2024, from 12:00  to 13:00 hr (UTC+7), following the first session on Wednesday, 14 August 2024, from 12:00 to 13:00 hr (UTC+7).This Stats Café series aims to provide support to participants in the process of completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The objectives of the series are as follows:For ESCAP to share more information on the process and timeline for completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, including highlighting some frequently asked questions and answers;For countries that have already completed the questionnaire to share experiences and lessons learned;For participants to ask and/or seek clarification from ESCAP on any questions and required information in the questionnaire;To update participants on preparations for the 2025 Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific and call for their support in facilitating optimal engagement from their governments.Concept notePresentations2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific: Process, timeline, and FAQsPhilippines: Completing the Questionnaire for the 2025 Review of Progress in Implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVSMaldives: Experience Sharing on 2025 Review Questionnaire CompletionPreparations for the 2025 Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

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Description: The CRVS applied research training (CART) initiative focuses on enhancing CRVS systems through supporting applied research on strategies, interventions, and tools. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of CRVS practitioners to conduct high quality relevant research. The first workshop was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 26 to 30 August 2024. The agenda is attached.

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Description: The first session was held on Wednesday, 14 August 2024, from 12:00 to 13:00 hr (UTC+7). The second session will be held on Monday, 2 September 2024, from 12:00 to 13:00 hr (UTC+7).This Stats Café series aims to provide support to participants in the process of completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The objectives of the series are as follows:For ESCAP to share more information on the process and timeline for completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, including highlighting some frequently asked questions and answers;For countries that have already completed the questionnaire to share experiences and lessons learned;For participants to ask and/or seek clarification from ESCAP on any questions and required information in the questionnaire;To update participants on preparations for the 2025 Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific and call for their support in facilitating optimal engagement from their governments..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }  Event websiteRegistration form

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Description: Theme: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) The objectives of this virtual quarterly CR8 meeting are to (1) share country experience on developing a M&E plan and system, and (2) highlight the 2025 review of progress in implementing the RAF including the process and timeline associated with the completion of the 2025 review questionnaire. The meeting also provides an opportunity for CR8 members to ask questions and seek clarification on the questionnaire as well. The meeting will be held virtually via MS Teams on 8 August 2024 at 14:00-15:30, Bangkok time. The modality of the meeting will mainly be presentations followed by Q&As. Link to meeting website To register for the meeting, use this Registration form To attend the meeting, click CR8 meeting link

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: A virtual meeting of Pacific Civil Registrars Network (PCRN) will be organized with support from ESCAP and the Pacific Community (SPC) on 31 July 2024, at 08:00 – 09:00 am. Bangkok time (GMT+7) via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an overview of the process and timeline for completing the 2025 review questionnaire on the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, addressing common questions. It also seeks to facilitate the sharing of experiences and lessons learned from previous and current reviews among PCRN members and SPC, and to clarify any questions regarding the questionnaire. Additionally, the meeting will update PCRN members on the preparations for the 2025 Ministerial Conference on CRVS and encourage their support for active government participation.Registration for the 2024 Virtual PCRN Meeting MS Teams link

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Description: Asia-Pacific Stats Café Series: Launch of the Questionnaire for the 2024 Review of the Asia and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015-2024) was held 13 June 2024, from 10:00 to 11:00 hrs. (UTC+7).Concept noteFlyerPresentationsLead with Purpose: Reflections on measurement and monitoring of CRVS systems (Vital Strategies)Rationale, timeline, process and support for completing the 2024 review questionnaire (ESCAP).embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

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Description: The tenth meeting of the Regional Steering Group (RSG) for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific will be organized in hybrid format from 7 to 9 May 2024, at 09:00-17:00 Bangkok time (GMT+7). The purpose of the meeting is to prepare for Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific in 2025, formally launch the 2024 Review of the Asia Pacific CRVS Decade (2015-2024), support RSG members in completing the 2024 Review questionnaire, and discuss priority areas for the extension to realize the goals and targets under the Regional Action Framework (RAF) on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific. Please find agenda, concept note and reference documents in the attachments.

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Description: The agenda of the meeting is in attached file below.

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Description: Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: ARFSD Side event Webinar: Africa Progress Towards SDG 16.9: Legal Identity for All Registration Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kcj7yB5VSyeAMYvtkn7_6g#/registration Date: 18/04/2024 Time: 09:00-10:30 (Addis Ababa time)

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Description: An insight into implementation of CRVS Business Process Improvement (BPI), and the experiences and success stories from countries in Asia and the Pacific. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events

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Description: This workshop is a joint ESCAP-EGRISS-IDAC initiative to support the Asia-Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade.  The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of Member States to achieve inclusive CRVS systems and, thereof, to produce and use statistics on statelessness, forced displacement, and children on the move through: Introducing key resources developed by EGRISS, IDAC and ESCAP and strengthening understanding of concepts and methodologies related to statelessness and forced displacement statistics and CRVS Enabling exchange of experiences, best practices and lessons learned between countries and other stakeholders in ensuring inclusion in CRVS systems and producing and using statistics on statelessness and forced displacement statistics Identifying gaps and challenges that need to be addressed and facilitate discussions around solutions and innovative approaches related to inclusion of stateless and displaced people in CRVS systems and the production and use of statistics from these systems. Identifying areas of technical support, collaboration and partnerships within wider technical and political regional priorities. Relevant resources:  Find the agenda and the resources links listed in attachments! Link to Inequality Assessments project (ESCAP) Link to Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System Link to Guidelines on the Legislative Framework for Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems Link to Bali Process Civil Registration Assessment Toolkit Link to Guidelines for estimating completeness of civil registration of vital events: a guide for practitioners

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Description: The MAM-CoP secretariat is pleased to invite you to participate in the upcoming webinar. Title of the webinar: “Verbal autopsies to determine causes of death amongst adults in countries where vital statistics are lacking”, Date: Thursday, 7 March 2024 Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am (GMT) (please click to check your time) Venue: Online via MS Teams Registration link:  (Please register here)  Once you have completed the registration process, a meeting link will be generated for you to access the webinar. For more details about the content and objectives of the webinar, please refer to the attached flyer.

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Description: Date and Time: 1 March 2024, 13:15-14.30 at Labousse Hall, UNICEF House. This side event for 55th UNSC, organized by ESCAP, ECA, UNICEF, UNFPA, Vital Strategies, and UNDP under the umbrella of the UN Legal Identity Agenda, provides an opportunity for national statistical offices, international organizations and delegates of Permanent Missions to acquire a more detailed overview of global, regional and national progress towards achieving universal legal identity and target 16.9 on birth registration for children under 5 years. This will include a focus on measuring who is currently left behind. UNICEF will share an overview of global progress on 16.9 highlighting who are on track to achieve universal birth registration by 2030 and who are lagging behind. The event will provide examples of country progress under the African CRVS Decade and the Asia and the Pacific CRVS Decade (2015-2024) as well as examples from Latin America. As both these decades are planned to end this year, the side event will also offer participants with insights into the next steps anticipated in the regions. The concept note and flyer are attached below. More detail of UNSC side event

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Description: The use of latent variable models has become common practice in estimation from complex surveys, particularly to address small area estimation problems and non-sampling errors. In their basic definition, the assumption of Normality is made for the variable of interest and/or for the random effect(s) introduced to account for unobserved heterogeneity. In this talk, I will discuss the use alternative latent variable models, such as latent class models and latent trait models in estimation from complex surveys. Latent class models are useful tools to deal with (possibly non-ignorable) unit nonresponse to build better response homogeneity groups and using, for example, generalized calibration, when measurement error on the response variables is suspected. Latent trait models can be used to obtain a measure of the "attitude to respond" to a survey that can be used as a covariate in response propensity estimation. Finally, these models are very useful when the variable of interest is not directly observable, such as disability, social integration, educational poverty, and/or measured with error by means of a set of binary/categorical variables. I will present applications of these methods to Italian Household Surveys, such as the Survey on Households Income and Wealth and the survey on Health Conditions and Appeal to Medicare, and discuss their use to handle the process of integration of administrative and survey data for the production of official statistics.

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Description: In this Global Network Webinar, Sophie Mitra of Fordham University and the Disability Data Initiative presented on the use of household surveys and population censuses to monitor the inequalities that affect persons with disabilities: recent evidence from the Disability Data Initiative. The speaker shared recent developments and highlighted research opportunities related to the situation of adults with disabilities worldwide. Based on recent results from the Disability Data Initiative, the webinar: (i) discussed various approaches to collect and analyze data on disability in household surveys and population censuses, in particular with respect to the types of questions used and how to analyze answer scales on severity; (ii) documented how and where questions on functional difficulties using the internationally tested Washington Group Short Set or similar questions have been adopted around the world; and (iii) presented results of analyses of Demographic and Health Survey and census data on whether persons with disabilities are being left behind in 15 countries. The webinar was attended by 44 colleagues from across the globe, including those from national statistical offices, UN resident coordinator offices, civil society, and academia. The recording is available on the Global Network. The Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians aims to improve coordination and collaboration among peers and organizations, to connect existing but not necessarily wellconnected networks and initiatives, and to provide and share information on capacity building efforts globally. In the framework of the Global Network UNSD organizes a series of webinars. For more information visit our information pages.

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Description: UNSD convened the 3rd virtual meeting of the Task Team 1 of the Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (P&R), on 12 October 2023. The Task Team 1, chaired by Statistics Canada, carries out the work of revising the portion of the Principles and Recommendations pertaining to census planning, organizing and management. The Task Team members went through the substantial revisions and new elaborations to be made to specific chapters and sections of the P&R, including, among others, the guidance on risk management and emergency planning (e.g., for censuses conducted during pandemics such as the recent global COVID-19 pandemic or natural disasters) as well as potential threats and possible consequences related to, for example, use of online questionnaire and the adoption of new technology.

Description: UNICEF, ESCAP Statistics Division and Vital Strategies will jointly organize the side event at the 7th Asia Pacific Population Conference on Getting everyone in the picture: investing in children.  This side event will highlight that serious action and resources are needed to achieve universal and responsive civil registration as agreed to by governments in Asia and the Pacific. To enable the new generations to manage and cope with emerging challenges and ageing populations, governments need to allocate more resources to support the growth and development of children, particularly through child-related benefits. The starting point being to ensure every one has a legal identity and is included in official statistics. The event will take place on 17 November 2023, 12:30-13:45 at Meeting Room G at the UNCC and Microsoft Teams (Please register here)

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Description: The Seventh Asian and Pacific Population Conference is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Asia and the Pacific.It will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok and online from 15 to 17 November 2023.   The Conference will provide an opportunity to review the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in the region. It will focus on intersecting population and development considerations as they relate to sustainable development, both now and in the future.  ESCAP member States, relevant stakeholders, United Nations partners, international organizations and others are invited to submit side event proposals by 20 October 2023 at the latest. Please click here for more information and complete the form. CSOs and youth-led organizations are invited to apply to participate in the Seventh APPC and preparatory CSO and Youth Forums.  More information can be found here.

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Description: Los próximos días 30 y 31 de octubre el Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) y el Instituto de Economía, Geografía y Demografía del CSIC (IEGD-CSIC) organizan la 4ª edición de estas jornadas, con la colaboración del Centro de Estudios Demográficos (CED), la Asociación de Demográfica Histórica, el Grupo de Geografía de la Población de la Asociación Española de Geografía y la Red Retos Demográficos, Red temática de investigación en demografía y estudios de la población RED2022-134952-T. Estas Jornadas, que dan continuidad a las celebradas en 2015, 2018 y 2022, se han consolidado como en un instrumento muy útil para el intercambio entre productores y usuarios de la estadística oficial y han contado con una participación e interés creciente por parte del mundo académico. En esta ocasión las Jornadas tienen un elemento especial. Se realizan coincidiendo con la presidencia española de la Unión Europea y por ello se dedicará una primera sesión, que ocupará toda la mañana del día 30, a celebrar una European Data Users Conference, a analizar la situación de las estadísticas sociales y demográficas en el ámbito de la Unión Europea. Además, en esta edición se va a poder debatir sobre el futuro de las estadísticas públicas en España una vez culminado el proceso de publicación de los Censos de Población y viviendas 2021, basados por primera vez en datos administrativos y con muchas novedades metodológicas.

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Description: This webinar will explore how law, history and policy have shaped the inclusiveness of birth registration in South Africa, Brazil and Uganda; how the design and implementation of digitized voter registration systems in Cameroon can both be a force for inclusive and mechanism of exclusion; and how the accessibility of population register systems varies for different vulnerable subpopulations.  The webinar showcases individual fellow research projects and a collaborative group project being undertaken through the IUSSP Initiative on Population Registers, Ethics and Human Rights. This initiative infuses interdisciplinary perspectives, drawing on perspectives from law, history, economics, public policy, demography, and public health, to address the ethical and human rights challenges that are emerging as population register systems are rapidly digitised.  This webinar is co-hosted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, the UNFPA Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems and the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Population Registers, Ethics and Human Rights. Detail: https://iussp.org/en/iussp-idrc-webinar-population-registers-ethics-and-human-rights Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jSR2aIIcSRmYcvMB940ANA#/registration Date: Tuesday 10 October 2023 (14:00-15:30 UTC)                 (7:00 Los Angeles - 10:00 New York - 11:00 Rio de Janeiro 15:00 Yaoundé - 16:00 Johannesburg/Paris - 17:00 Kampala 19:30 New Delhi - 22:00 Shanghai)

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Description: On 10 July 2023, the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch organized a hybrid meeting on the above topic, in collaboration with the European Commission Joint Research Center, Eurostat and UN-Habitat. The meeting discussed the Degree of Urbanisation-DEGURBA method as a geospatial approach to the definition of cities, urban and rural areas in a harmonised manner across countries, which is particularly important for monitoring SDG 11 indicators on “Sustainable Cities and Communities”. The method was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in 2020, for international and regional comparison purposes. UN-Habitat, European Commission and UNSD are working towards building member states’ capacity for the implementation of this methodology as recommended by the Statistical Commission. Discussants from the Statistics Division, UNFPA and Eurostat exchanged lessons learned and the progress made in building capacity on the methodology. Data experts from UN-Habitat and the Joint Research Centre presented with examples how geospatial data are used to monitor human settlements and support census activities. Overall, the meeting highlighted the power of geospatial information to assess the urbanisation process and contribute to the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Description: UNSD convened the 4th virtual meeting of the Friends of the Chair (FoC) Group on Social and Demographic Statistics on 28 September 2023. The meeting took stock of progress made across the various workstreams within the FoC Group and discussed the preparation of a report for the 55th Session of the Statistical Commission, in 2024. The Director of UNSD, underscored the significance of data as a catalyst for development, emphasizing its recognition at the highest political level during the 2023 SDG Summit held on 18-19 September 2023, in New York. Furthermore, UNSD provided insights from the Ninth Global Forum on Gender Statistics (9GFGS) and shared challenges and opportunities identified by the Forum to enhance gender statistics, which are in alignment with the objectives of the FoC Group working towards an agile and more responsive system of social and demographic statistics. UNSD also updated the Group on the ongoing mapping and review process of collective global and regional efforts in the field of social and demographic statistics. Statistics Canada shared the outcomes of an initial review of national approaches for a potential overarching conceptual framework for social and demographic statistics. Finally, Statistics Poland, presented initial efforts in assessing communication practices, stakeholder engagement, and data access modalities in member countries, to identify strategies for elevating the role of social and demographic statistics in the eyes of data users and producers

Description: UNSD co-organized a high-level event titled 'Unlocking SDG 16.9: Leveraging the UN Legal Identity Agenda for Leaving No One Behind.' The event engaged high-level representatives, including Ministers, Directors-General, and heads of agencies within the CRVS (civil registration and vital statistics), health, and National ID management sectors and attracted a wide audience including around 90 representatives of Member States, multilateral and international organizations and civil society organizations. The event provided an opportunity to discuss strategies for accelerated achievement of universal birth and death registration and legal identity for all in six countries that collectively account for half of the global burden of unregistered children: Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. It provided a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and promoting best practices to ensure that legal identity is accessible to all, thereby advancing progress toward SDG 16.9. The United Nations Legal Identity Agenda, endorsed by the Deputy Secretary-General, was launched as a One UN approach to assist Member States in building holistic, country-owned, and sustainable civil registration, vital statistics, and identity management systems. UNSD serves as a custodian of international statistical standards, methods, and guidelines on these topics, and together with UNDP and UNICEF, co-chairs the UNLIA Task Force - composed of 13+ UN agencies - supporting Member States in delivering the 2030 Agenda commitments.

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Description: The World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia (WHO/SEARO) is organizing a regional workshop on strengthening the national civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system from 26 to 29 September 2023 in Bali, Indonesia.  The primary objective of the workshop is to build countries capacities in developing strategic and operational action plans to strengthen the national CRVS system core business processes, to improve data completeness, quality and use (with more focus on mortality statistics) so as to strengthen evidence based operational plans and policies and enhance accountability.   The specific objectives of the workshop are to: 1. review the progress to date countries have made in strengthening their CRVS system core business processes and to identify the key gaps and challenges faced in achieving further improvements; 2. discuss and bring into the focus the importance of a comprehensive system approach to strengthen CRVS system and build capacities for reporting of death and cause of death data with protocols for data management, analysis and use. Where necessary, the system approach will address specific issues related to legal, administrative and technical factors that need attention for CRVS improvement; and 3. guide countries in developing a national strategic action plan for implementing a system approach including use of digital technologies to strengthen CRVS, with a focus on data outcomes in terms of production of reliable mortality and cause of death data; 4. support countries in designing an initial implementation plan that targets the production of reliable vital statistics for a pilot set of population clusters, as a 'proof of concept', by mid/end 2025; and 5. develop a broad road map towards improving the national and regional mortality statistics in the short- (2023/2025) to medium- (2026/2028) to long- (2029/2030) term with a notional set of milestones and targets. The participants will be relevant ministries for CRVS work from countries in our region and international partners.

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Description: UNICEF, in collaboration with UN Legal Identity Agenda co-chairs, UNDESA and UNDP are hosting an in-person side event at the 2023 SDG Summit. The side event aims to facilitate knowledge exchange by showcasing successful strategies, innovative approaches, and insights from six priority countries: Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. High-level representatives from these countries within the CRVS, health, and National ID management sectors have been invited to engage with UNICEF colleagues, civil society organizations, and experts in child rights, human rights, CRVS, and legal identity. The event intends to amplify participants collective experiences to garner greater international support and commitment towards achieving SDG 16.9.

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Description: A Regional Training on Assessing Inequalities in Civil Registration Completeness will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-15 September. It aims to provide selected countries from Asia and the Pacific with practical knowledge to assess the completeness of birth and death registration records using secondary sources of data. More specifically, the training aims to address these objectives: Give participants and overview of the tools and data sources that can be used to assess inequalities related to civil registration. Provide participants with the demographics skills necessary to initiate inequality assessments. Train participants in the computation of completeness rates of birth and death registration. Discuss how to initiate inequality assessments and ensure their findings lead to policy recommendations. The training will use the guidelines for estimating completeness of civil registration of vital events as background documentation and make use of the experience of other countries of the region in conducting such inequality assessments. The workshop will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in Russian. The concept note is available in English here:

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Description: Legal identity for all to achieve gender equality - An inter-regional dialogue Thursday, 31 August, 2023 14.00-16.00hs SAST/CET Watch the event at bit.ly/9gfgsday3 (no registration required) In countries where gender inequalities are most prevalent, lack of legal identity further marginalizes women and hampers progress toward gender equality. Ensuring legal identity for all, underpinned by access to birth, marriage and death registration across the life course, is a crucial layer of protection against social exclusion. Civil registration is also a crucial data source for sex-disaggregated vital statistics. The objective of this session is to share country experiences on the establishment and maintenance of population registers and identity management from birth to death and efforts to ensure interoperability in accordance with international standards and in compliance with a human rights approach, including the right to privacy. (SDGs: SDG 3, SDG 5, SDG 16).

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Description: Strengthened marriage registration as a tool for gender equality and women’s empowerment   Thursday, 31 August, 2023 7.00hs-8.30hs SAST/CET Watch the event at bit.ly/9gfgsday3 (no registration required) The objectives of this session are to provide a brief overview of the global landscape on marriage and divorce registration and to review recent experiences, innovations and lessons in marriage registration system strengthening from Uganda, Indonesia and Guatemala. Marriage and divorce shape the lives of individuals, families and society at-large and play a particularly significant role in the ability of women and girls to claim their fundamental rights and access relevant services. Yet, despite the recognition of official marriage registration and divorce registration within international human rights conventions for more than 58 years, in practice they are often neglected. This side event will begin with an overview of the state of marriage and divorce registration in terms of international standards, common practices, available data and published statistics.

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Description: UNSD’s Demographic and Social Statistics Branch organized the third meeting of the Friends of the Chair (FoC) Group on Social and Demographic Statistics, a Group established by the UN Statistical Commission in 2023, to review social and demographic statistics at global, regional and national levels for improved data that better reflect society and its connections with the environment and the economy. The meeting was conducted virtually, moderated by the co-chair of the FoC Group, Ms. Gabriella Vukovich, Chair of the UN Statistical Commission. The members and observes of the Group include UN agencies, regional commissions and chief statisticians from 10 national statistical offices. The work of the FoC Group consists of three Workstreams operating in parallel. Workstream 1, led by DANE Colombia, is tasked with mapping and reviewing the collective global and regional work in the area of social and demographic statistics. Workstream 2, led by Statistics Canada, is entrusted with the review of national approaches and the identification of possible elements for an overarching conceptual framework for social and demographic statistics. Lastly, the task of Workstream 3, led by Statistics Poland, is to elevate the role of social and demographic statistics in the eyes of users and producers. The Workstream leaders reported progress on activities within each of their assigned areas, indicating that all tasks are currently proceeding well. The Group also discussed the road ahead in preparation for the next Statistical Commission, reflecting on the potential deliverables to be included in the Interim Report of the FoC, to be submitted to the Statistical Commission 2024. The UN Statistics Division serves as the Secretariat of the Friends of the Chair Group, that is expected to work for a period of three years and report back on deliverables at the fifty-seventh session of the Statistical Commission in 2026. By then, the Group aims to deliver practical recommendations for an agile and more responsive system of social and demographic statistics, guided by the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind, while also anticipating data needs beyond 2030.

Description: The adoption of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and DevelopmentPDF (ICPD), held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, cemented a people-centred approach to population and development policies, grounded in the respect for human rights and a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. Subsequently, the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development integrated many goals and objectives of the ICPD Programme of Action. In 2014, the General Assembly extended the Programme of Action beyond 2014 with a view to fully meeting its goals and objectives (A/RES/65/234). In 2019, at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Programme of Action, the Secretary-General reported that while considerable progress had been made in implementing the Programme of Action since 1994, progress had been uneven both within and among countries, and the benefits of social and economic progress have not been shared equitably. The report also stated that attaining the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda was a shared responsibility that called for policies and programmes for sustainable development to be grounded in an understanding of population dynamics, including changes in population size or age structure and processes of migration or urbanization. The Commission on Population and Development, at its fifty-seventh session in 2024, will carry out a review and appraisal of the ICPD Programme of Action and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. The timing of this appraisal, 30 years after “Cairo”, is consistent with the five-year cycle of review of the status of implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action carried out by the Commission in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019, respectively. In support of this review and as part of the substantive preparations of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Population and Development, the Population Division of UN DESA will convene an expert group meeting on 19 and 20 July 2023. The meeting will examine progress and gaps in implementing the goals and objectives set out in the ICPD Programme of Action and take stock of the achievement of Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) which are of particular relevance to the global agenda on population and development. Participants will also assess the implications of demographic trends for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2024 Summit of the Future, showcasing global solidarity for future generations.

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Description: The third CR8 meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF-ROSA), and hosted by the Office of the Registrar General, Local Government Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, from 6 to 8 June 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The meeting brought together civil registrars in South Asia to discuss priority areas of common concern. The meeting was convened to review progress against the 2015-24 CRVS Decade and take stock of efforts to date to strengthen CRVS in South Asia, highlight the successes, good practices and lessons learned, and identify promising and effective initiatives and investments that need to be prioritized and/or resourced to scale up initiatives in the region. It also offered the opportunity to review the impact of COVID-19 on targets and identify areas for accelerated action. In particular, the meeting focused on: 1. Stocktaking of efforts, interventions, and investments to date to strengthen CRVS in South Asia, including regional and country-led initiatives and action plans. 2. Review of available data on birth, death and causes of death registration in South Asia, and the evidence base for effective programming, key research findings, gaps and priorities. 3. Identification of promising and innovative practices, success stories and lessons learned, as well as remaining gaps, challenges and unintended consequences of programming and policy level interventions. 4. Revisiting achievements in implementing the 2015-24 Asia Pacific CRVS Decade including the Regional Action Framework in South Asia and commitments in the Ministerial Declaration (2021) identifying priorities for future actions to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting included group discussions on links to identity management and digitalization as well as update on the upcoming 2024 review of the CRVS Decade. Participants also benefited from a site visit to Bhakurta Union Pasishad, Savar, Dhaka to better understand the sub-district-level civil registration process at the local civil registration office and health clinic. Resources for the fourth CR8 meeting can be found here. MP4 files:  Maldives presentation CR8 Nepal Birth Registration Video ESCAP_Nicola with video_CR8_Service linkages

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Description: (Newsletter May 2023) The ninth meeting of the Regional Steering Group (RSG) for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific was organized in-person from 10 to 12 May 2023 in Bangkok. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss progress to-date, prepare for the final review of the Asia Pacific CRVS Decade (2015-2024) and possible extension, and decide on future focus areas for the work of the RSG. During the meeting, participants reached a consensus on the need for extending the CRVS Decade beyond 2024. The meeting was organized in a hybrid modality with most participants attending in-person and online participants joining via Microsoft Teams platform. The modality of the meeting was a combination of presentations, interactive discussions and feedback sessions. The meeting included 42 participants, including 26 country participants and 16 development partner participants. The presentation material, and meeting agenda are provided below.

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Title in Arabic: التقديرات والاسقاطات السكانية باستعمال البرامج الإحصائية

Description: تمثل الإسقاطات السكانية أهمية كبرى عند وضع الخطط التنموية والسكانية و الاجتماعية و الاقتصادية، ويتم الاعتماد عليها لتشخيص الوضع القائم وتحديد الاحتياجات المستقبلية لأي بلد. كما تعتبر الاسقاطات السكانية مادة هامة في مجالي البحث والتطوير في كل المجالات، بالإضافة الى دورها المحوري في كل عملية سياسية ومنها بالخصوص إجراء الانتخابات على كل المستويات الإدارية. ومن المعروف أن التعدادات السكانية عادة ما تنجز كل عشر سنوات مما يخلق حاجة اكيدة الى بيانات ومؤشرات سكانية وديمغرافية بين التعدادين المتتاليين. وتمثل الإسقاطات السكانية الحل الأمثل لسد هذه الفجوة وتوفير الحاجيات الضرورية من البيانات السكانية لمختلف المستخدمين، وتتضمن الاسقاطات الافتراض بأن اتجاهات السكان قد تتغير تدريجياً وليس فجأة شريطة عدم حدوث تطورات مفاجئة وغير محسوبة، كما انها تفترض في بعض الاحيان الاستمرار المستقبلي لقيم المؤشرات الديموغرافية السائدة، وستبقى مستمرة بنفس المستوى في المستقبل بغض النظر عن أي تأثير على هذه الاتجاهات. وقد طور المهتمون بعلم السكان والديمغرافيا العديد من البرامج الإحصائية المتكاملة لإنجاز الاسقاطات والقديرات السكانية في أحسن الظروف وبالجودة المطلوبة على غرار   Spectrumو Fivsin و Mortpak و  PAS ... وتندرج هذه الورشة في اطار مواصلة المعهد دعم قدرات العاملين في المجالات الديمغرافية والسكانية بالاجهزة الإحصائية العربية والمهتمين بالاحصائيات الاجتماعية بشكل عام من خلال التركيز على البعد العملي وتبيان كيفية استغلال البرامج الإحصائية المتوفرة في انجاز التقديرات والاسقاطات السكانية.

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Description: The regional workshop for the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Inequality Assessment project in Asia and the Pacific will take place in Bangkok on 8 to 9 May 2023. The workshop provides an opportunity for countries which undertook an inequality assessment to share experiences and lessons learned with other countries, and to document best practices for other countries which may be interested in undertaking an inequality assessment in the future. The invitations have been sent to participants, and the concept note can be viewed from the file below.

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Description: UNSD’s Demographic and Social Statistics Branch organized the first meeting of the Friends of the Chair (FOC) Group on Social and Demographic Statistics, established by the UN Statistical Commission in 2023, to review social and demographic statistics at global, regional and national levels for improved data that better reflect society and its connections with the environment and the economy. The meeting was conducted virtually, moderated by the co-chairs of the FOC Group, Ms. Gabriella Vukovich, President of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and Ms. Graciela Márquez, President of INEGI, Mexico. The members of the Group, including chief statisticians from 10 national statistical offices, UN agencies (WHO), and regional commissions, discussed the proposed work programme, working methods, resources, as well as next steps. In particular, the Group discussed selected areas of work, including mapping what is currently available in terms of data, methods and solutions to measure and monitor social and demographic phenomena; related national best practices; and the importance of communicating the value of social/demographic statistics to users and producers. The Group also reflected on how to deliver practical recommendations for an agile and more responsive system of social and demographic statistics, guided by the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind, while also anticipating data needs beyond 2030. The UN Statistics Division serves as the Secretariat of the Friends of the Chair Group, that is expected to work for a period of three years and report back on agreed deliverables at the fifty-seventh session of the Statistical Commission in 2026.

Description: A Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) of 3 October 1946. In its resolution 49/128 of 19 December 1994, the General Assembly decided that the Commission should be renamed the Commission on Population and Development. In the same resolution, the Assembly decided that it, the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism that would play the primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, would monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels and advise the Council thereon.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: The "Civil Registration Vital Statistics (CRVS) Inception Workshop for Assessing Inequalities in Registration in Samoa" was organized on 4 April 2023 in Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia, Samoa. Agenda The inception workshop was a participatory workshop that introduced the project, further developed relationships among relevant stakeholders (data providers, data users, and policymakers), discussed challenges with conducting such an inequality assessment, and collaboratively developed a plan for the way forward. , Project: Implementing Inequality Assessments Resources Regional Events Project countries: Bangladesh Bhutan Fiji/ Indonesia Lao PDR Pakistan Philippines Samoa

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Description: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will organized the first Asia-Pacific CRVS Research Forum from 3 to 4 April 2023 in Bangkok. The two-day online forum will focus on innovative methods and approaches contributing to achievement of the goals of the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade (www.getinthepicture.org), as well as showcasing country-level success stories. Depending on the number of papers received, plenary and parallel sessions may be held simultaneously to accommodate papers that meet criteria set by the Forum Organisers. The primary target group is experienced CRVS practitioners (from National Statistics Offices, Ministries of Health, and Civil Registration/National Identity Authorities) from ESCAP Member States. Other welcomed participants include international organizations, academe, private institutions, and civil society. Authors from Asia and the Pacific will be given preference, but other submissions will be considered if they show relevance to the region.

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Description: The Brisbane Accord Group (BAG) is a consortium of agencies with a principal aim of coordinating partner support and maximizing investments made towards supporting the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics systems in Pacific Island countries and territories. Activities of BAG are guided by the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan (PVSAP), which sits under the Ten-Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (TYPSS) 2011 - 2020.  This Plan has been recently succeeded by the Strategic Framework for Pacific Statistics 2022-2030 (TYPSS II).  A regional meeting of the BAG members is being organised by the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Pacific Civil Registrars Network (PCRN), Pacific Health Information Network (PHIN), and other partners. The meeting will be held in Suva, Fiji, on 23-24 March 2023. It will follow the meeting of the PCRN on 20-22 March 2023, also in Suva, and precede the meeting of the PHIN on 28-30 March 2023 in Nadi, Fiji.   The main objectives of the BAG meeting are to:  Provide an update on the activities undertaken by BAG partners to support Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) under the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan (PVSAP)   Review and document progress against commitments made by PICTs towards the Regional Action Framework (RAF) for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific in line with the Asia and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade (2015–2024)  Identify needs and areas that require additional support  Agree on the next phase of implementation of the PVSAP in line with the Strategic Framework for the Development of Pacific Statistics 2022-2030 (TYPSS II)

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Description: The Pacific Civil Registrars Network (PCRN) was created in 2014. Our vision is that by 2024 the Civil Registrars across the Pacific will work together in ways that are flexible to local needs, with a shared approach to legislative change, enabling technology and data exchange. We provide an opportunity to share information, lessons learned and good practice. This fosters coordination and integration of Civil Registrars’ input and ideas into the implementation of the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan and Asia Pacific Regional Action Framework for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics.   Objectives of the 2023 meeting of PCRN A meeting of PCRN will be organized with support of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Pacific Community (SPC) and other partners on 20-22 March 2023 in Suva, Fiji.  The objectives of the meeting are: 1. For civil registrars to share progress and challenges in CRVS improvement efforts and identify common challenges 2. To facilitate knowledge exchange and potential collaboration on issues of concern of civil registrars in the region 3. capacity building for sustainable institutional development leading to improved decisionmaking processes   4. To document existing practices in the region

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Description: In preparation for the 54th session of the Statistical Commission, UNSD organized a highlevel webinar on the Future of Social and Demographic Statistics. The high-level panel discussion was conducted virtually and attracted around 280 participants, including officials from 60 national statistical offices, and representative from more than 20 international organizations, academia, and the UN system at large. The event was moderated by Ms. Gabriella Vukovich, Chair of the UN Statistical Commission and President of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. The panelists, coming from national statistical offices (Statistics Canada and UK’s Office for National Statistics), as well UN agencies (WHO), provided insights into key concerns, challenges, and priorities identified by data users they serve, and highlighted how their statistical systems are evolving to respond to data requests. As this event was an opportunity to informally provide feedback on the report of the Secretary-General on Social Statistics, which will serve as the basis for launching the work on a review of social and demographic statistics through a Friends of the Chair Group (FoC Social), the panelists also reflected on how FoC Social could build on their country/organization experiences, highlighting some of the areas where the Group can realistically deliver practical recommendations for an agile and more responsive system of social and demographic statistics. The UN Statistics Division will serve as the Secretariat of the Friends of the Chair Group, and the outcomes of this high-level panel discussion will contribute to identifying a work programme for the Group to achieve strengthened social and demographic statistics that fulfil data requirements under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and anticipate data needs beyond 2030. The Group will work for a period of three years and report back on agreed deliverables at the fifty-seventh session of the Statistical Commission in 2026.

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Description: An initial meeting of the SEA registrars will be organized with support of the Philippines Statistics Authority on 7-9 February 2023 in Manila and will be part of the CRVS month in the Philippines. Multiple partners are supporting the event including ESCAP, Vital Strategies, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, UNICEF, UNFPA, and possible others.  The objectives of the meeting are: 1. To explore and possibly initiate the establishment of a network for civil registrars in South-East Asia 2. To facilitate knowledge exchange and potential collaboration on issues of concern of civil registrars in the region 3. To document existing practices in the region and common challenges The meeting will provide a professional forum for civil registrars to discuss priority areas that are of common concern to the civil registrars in the region as well as the potential terms of references and organizational setup of a SEA civil registrars network. For each of the priority areas a draft background paper will be developed by ESCAP and UNICEF in preparation for the meeting. The papers will be shared with participants and inputs from the meeting will support finalization of the papers. The report: Civil Registration in South East Asia: Legislation, Digitization and Inequality (2023)

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Description: Background The CRVS Systems Improvement Framework (hereinafter to be referred to as the ‘Framework’) was developed by Vital Strategies, with the support of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, in collaboration with ESCAP, ECA, WHO and other partners. The Framework builds upon previous efforts to develop practical tools (e.g., APAI-CRVS, World Health Organization and University of Queensland Comprehensive Assessment Tools), that countries can use to assess, develop strategies, and action plans and implement them for improving the coverage and efficiency of the system. The Framework is holistic in nature, with a process-centric, human rights and results-based approach for analysing and redesigning improved CRVS system performance and aligns with international principles and guidance. The modular design of the Framework allows for maximum flexibility in application. As many as 13 countries in Asia/Pacific and Africa region are at various stages of the Framework implementation. There are many lessons that have been learned from these countries related specifically to the processes and tools. The experiences have varied ranging from very positive to the need for improvements in the guidance provided in the Framework. Vital Strategies in collaboration with ESCAP and ECA have planned to take stock of all the lessons learned from the country implementation of the Framework and its applicability in the political, administrative, and legal context of these countries. This exercise is sought to be undertaken through a series of three workshops, one for countries in Asia and the Pacific, followed by the second workshop for African countries and the final being a global workshop that focuses on synthesizing the information from lesson learned from the country workshop and the experiences gained by the country coordinators and national/international consultants while providing technical assistance in implementing the Framework. Purpose/objective a) Share and discuss lessons learned on the implementation of the Framework, the usefulness of Business Process Improvement (BPI), and the improvements that the Framework has led to b) Discuss options for improvement of the Framework c) Discuss the expansion of the network of Framework’s users and further the understanding of the Framework

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Description: Report on the expert segment (Click the image to enlarge) Experts Group Meeting of the 6th Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration will be held from 24-28th October 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the theme: A Decade into APAI-CRVS: Reflecting on progress and accelerating efforts towards 2030 through transformed systems. The Conference aims to:  a)   review progress in the development of CRVS systems over the last ten years, including taking note of new developments since the last Ministerial Conference and the fast-approaching deadline of the 2030 agenda; b)   share innovative practices and strategies for the development of CRVS systems and; c)   provide policy directives on priority measures and strategies for accelerated improvement of CRVS systems which will constitute the new regional CRVS strategy and plan.  In order to adhere to public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will adopt a hybrid approach, allowing for in-person and virtual participation. The EGM will bring together country experts drawn from Ministries Responsible for Civil Registration, Ministries of Health, National Statistical Offices, and National Identity Management offices, Young African Statisticians and development partners.  The meeting, which will draw seasoned panellists from within and outside Africa, is envisaged to identify priority strategic actions that will accelerate progress of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in Africa over the next 8 years, ensuring there’s considerable progress in achieving 100% and 80% registration of births and deaths respectively as set by the sustainable development agenda by 2030.  Sustainability All documents of the meeting will be made available electronically through a dedicated portal, while a ‘print on demand only’ service will be provided on site.

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Description: The Centre of Excellence for CRVS systems at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF are pleased to announce that the 3rd global CRVS and Gender Conference will be held in New York on October 17-18, 2022. The conference will be a hybrid conference - i.e. encompassing both in-person and virtual participation. This conference will build on the previous two CRVS and gender conferences - the last conference was held in February, 2018. This year’s conference will Assess developments on gender and CRVS since 2020 Conference in Ottawa, including the impact of Covid-19 Highlight the value of CRVS data for tracking gender inequalities Advance practices to strengthen gender-responsive CRVS systems in support of the 2030 agenda, including SDG5 and commitments to "Leave No One Behind" Guide and strengthen gender dimensions of CRVS strengthening efforts and gender sensitive analyses of civil registration data Simultaneous interpretation will be offered between English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

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Description: Global Health Advocacy Incubator’s (GHAI) Data for Health Team, co-hosted a week of civil registration and vital statistics consultations in the Maldives with partners from Vital Strategies, Imagine Law and UNESCAP.  The first two days of the workshop which were led by Imagine Law, focused on legal review and reform of the CRVS system, engaging CRVS stakeholders in discussions on a draft CRVS bill for Maldives.  The remaining two days of the workshop focused on CRVS budget advocacy and leveraging domestic financing to support CRVS system strengthening.  ESCAP also presented the results of the Business Process Improvement (BPI) work it supported in the Maldives, as a basis for informing focus areas for budget advocacy.  The workshop engaged over 40 participants from the Department of National Registration, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Centre for Information Technology, Local Government Authority, and representatives from Atoll Councils.

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Description: SIDE EVENT: Implementing Digital Identity Systems without Leaving Anyone Behind Third Ministerial Conference on Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok and Online, 28-30 September 2022 Digital identity is a set of electronically captured and stored attributes and credentials that can uniquely identify a person when interacting with government and private services and the digital economy. Digital identity systems are underpinned by mechanisms which verify and authenticate an individual’s personal data and require strong legal frameworks to uphold data protection, security, privacy and consent. Historically, governments have operated primarily foundational ID systems which are created to provide identification to the general population for a wide variety of transactions and which can be digitized or paper-based. Providing documents and records for individuals to establish their legal identity is an important element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, explicitly so in target 16.9. Governments in Asia and the Pacific are implementing civil registration and vital statistics systems underpinning identity management systems to issue national identity cards and numbers as well as digital credentials for establishing uniqueness and enabling secure identity verification. Full inclusion in digital identity systems is essential to facilitate access to the benefits and protections of the State. As services increasingly transition to digital, disparities in coverage of hard to reach and marginalized populations can further compound disadvantages and exclusion and deepen the digital divide.   Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/xRhjjxK4Gk MS Teams link: https://bit.ly/3cPP8Em  

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Description: The sample of the Statistical survey on population by ethnicity, native language and religion 2021 consists of the voluntary sample and the probability sample drawn from the rest of the census population. A natural post-stratified calibrated estimator underestimates minor religions and other small proportions of interest. Alternatively, to correct the selection bias of estimates based on the non-probability sample, we fit a model for propensity scores using the demographic and socioeconomic data and information from the previous complete census. Then we combine the inverse probability weighted and doubly robust estimators with post-stratified calibrated estimators. The total sample size of the survey is not sufficient to derive accurate direct estimates of the proportions in small domains like municipalities. We apply robust design-based composite estimators which exploit domain-level information on the study variables from the previous census.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: Background: Lao PDR has come onboard as one of the countries in the region to receive support to undertake the CRVS inequality assessment. The project seeks to provide technical support and capacity strengthening to the Lao Statistics Bureau and other relevant national stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of CRVS inequality assessments using secondary data sources in Lao PDR. This will involve building capacity for demographic analysis to undertake inequality assessments in the future as well as for initiating dialogue with policy-makers to ensure the results are used for policy formulation. The first three-day national capacity building workshop was a hands-on workshop, which was designed based on the country’s needs and the project’s objective to build skills in analyzing data to assess inequalities in registration of births and deaths. The workshop supplemented lectures with practical sessions and exercises, which were developed by the CRVS national consultant based on real data from Lao PDR. Participants comprised Lao Statistics Bureau staff and stakeholders from relevant ministries.       , Project: Implementing Inequality Assessments Resources Regional Events Project countries: Bangladesh Bhutan Fiji/ Indonesia Lao PDR Pakistan Philippines Samoa

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Description: The event will be organized on Wednesday, 29th June 2022. Interested participants can join one of two below sessions. Click here for registration.  Session 1: June 29th at 9:00 am (BST) / 11:00 am (EAT) / 1:30 pm (IST) Session 2: June 29th at 10:00 am (EDT) / 3:00 pm (BST) / 5:00 pm (EAT) / 7:30 pm (IST)

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Description: The regional training workshop was held virtually from 27 May to 3 June 2022, as part of a project to strengthen capacity to implement inequality assessments of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems, which has been initiated by ESCAP and includes both in-country and regional level capacity strengthening activities. One element of this project relates to training on demographic skills to enable countries to implement the inequality assessments. The workshop aimed to provide technical guidance and enhance expertise on demographic evaluation of age and sex data collected in national censuses. The workshop offered instructional material via pre-recorded videos, allowing participants to download and work through that material in their own time in the weeks preceding the scheduled workshop, with material being released in three batches weekly from 9 May 2022. The opening of the workshop and explanations was commenced on 27 May 2022, followed by the interactive part of the training starting on 30 May 2022 which was structured around two short plenary sessions, a set of three groups of staggered practical workshops to allow participants to select the time most convenient for them and one on one consultations by appointment. For more information on the pre-recorded videos and the staggered practical sessions and consultations and their timings, please see the concept note. Background As part of the proclamation of the Asia and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade (2015-2024), governments in the region requested that further regional action be taken to support the improvement of CRVS systems and the production of vital statistics. Goal three of the regional action framework calls for the production and dissemination of accurate, complete and timely vital statistics (including on causes of death). One of the targets under this goal further expands that nationally representative statistics - using registration records or other valid administrative data - should allow for key disaggregation, namely by age, sex, geographic area, administrative subdivisions and other subgroups and characteristics of the vital event. Demographic statistics, whether produced using population censuses), registration data or other administrative data sources or household surveys may be subject to error which can impact the accuracy of statistics. Therefore, appraisal of demographic data is an essential task for data users, to take into consideration any potential errors or biases that may impact the accuracy of the estimates being produced. Underpinning the three components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration) are age and sex distributions of a population. ESCAP Statistics Division run a regional training workshop for member states on the demographic evaluation of age and sex data collected in national censuses. , HOME - Project: Implementing Inequality Assessments Project countries: Bangladesh Fiji Lao PDR Pakistan Samoa Resources Regional Events

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Description: About the session This Stats Café sought to share experiences of countries in the assessment, analysis, and redesign of their CRVS systems using the CRVS System Improvement Framework, including reflections on how the results of this project have informed improvement policies and ongoing system strengthening efforts. The event began with an overview of the CRVS Systems Improvement Framework, followed by three countries sharing their experiences and lessons learned from applying this methodology. Background A well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system helps ensure that every person has a legal identity, facilitating access to essential benefits and protections of the State.However, in many countries throughout Asia and the Pacific, many people face significant barriers to register a vital event such as a birth or death, often due to the complexity of the process, the time and number of trips needed, distance to the registration facility and the documentation requirements, to name just a few of these barriers. To support countries in identifying where the bottlenecks are in civil registration processes, some countries in Asia and the Pacific have been utilizing a Business Process Improvement approach to assess, analyse and redesign the underlying processes of their civil registration system, with the end goal of streamlining civil registration processes to alleviate the burden on families reporting vital events. The CRVS Systems Improvement Framework, which was developed under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative in collaboration with other development partners, provides detailed guidance for countries to apply an innovative, multi-sectoral, participatory and processcentric approach to examine current CRVS processes, identify gaps and determine areas for improvement. Vital Strategies, ESCAP and WHO-SEARO have been supporting countries in the region to implement Phase 1 of this Framework which includes a detailed process mapping of two selected civil registration processes (usually birth and death registration) and the identification of performance issues and potential improvement policies. Assessment, Analysis and Redesign of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Processes - Maldives Download the report This report documents the results of the work of the Maldives Core Team in the implementation of the “Assessment, analysis, and redesign” stage of the CRVS System Improvement Framework. Using the methodology and the tools defined by the CRVS System Improvement Framework, the Core Team, supported by a Country Coordinator and a Senior Adviser, organised a range of online and in-person consultations to apply the Framework tools. The consultations enabled the Core Team to provide detailed descriptions of existing birth and death registration business processes, analyse aspects of the processes affecting performance, and design a vision for improving registration business  processes, overcoming performance bottlenecks, and increasing overall efficiency. The report is organised into four distinct parts. The first part introduces the key characteristics of the Maldives CRVS system, as well as background information on the CRVS System Improvement Framework and the methodology for implementing the Framework implementation in the context of Maldives CRVS business processes. The second part of the report provides a detailed description of birth and death registration business processes as presently operated in Maldives. The third part of the report documents the analysis conducted by the Core Team to determine existing business processes, performance bottlenecks and their root causes, as well as redesign suggestions and how best to prioritize improvements. Finally, the fourth part of the report envisions the processes that would emerge after improvement policies are implemented. , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events in 2021 Concluded events in 2020

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Title in Arabic: استخدام البرامج الاحصائية في التحليل الديموغرافي والاسقاطات السكانية

Description: تنبع أهمية هذه الورشة من الأهمية البالغة التي توليها الدول لدراسة الخصائص والاتجاهات والتغيرات الديموغرافية باعتبار تأثيرها المباشر في كافة مناحي حياة المجتمعات البشرية التي ترتبط ارتباطاً مباشراً بعددهم وتركيبهم وبالتغيرات التي طرأت وتطرأ عليهم. وتوفر   وتوفر البيانات والمؤشرات الديمغرافية والسكانية عدة استعمالات منها بالأساس:   * التشخيص: معرفة وفهم الوضع الراهن واكتشاف وتحديد القضايا/المشكلات ومن ثم التخطيط للعمل على تغيير الوضع الراهن إلى الوضع المرغوب؛ *  التقييم: تقدير مقدار واتجاهات التغيرات أو النجاحات التي حققتها السياسات والخطط والبرامج خلال فترة زمنية معينة؛ *  التقديرات والإسقاطات السكانية: توقع الوضع المستقبلي للسكان؛ * حوار السياسات: تساعد المؤشرات الديموغرافية واضعي السياسات على فهم المشكلات القائمة والتباحث حولها وحول البدائل المتاحة لوضع الحلول المناسبة لها؛ * كسب المناصرة أو التأييد والدعم للسياسات والاستراتيجيات والبرامج السكانية ولأهدافها ورصد الموارد المالية اللازمة لتنفيذها.

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Description: A Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) of 3 October 1946. In its resolution 49/128 of 19 December 1994, the General Assembly decided that the Commission should be renamed the Commission on Population and Development. In the same resolution, the Assembly decided that it, the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism that would play the primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, would monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels and advise the Council thereon.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: The Regional Workshop on Estimating Completeness of Civil Registration of Births and Deaths commenced with an Asia-Pacific Stats Café Series: Estimating completeness of vital events launch the recently developed guidelines on measuring completeness of civil registration of births and deaths. It run for 2.5-3 hours a day over five days from 28 March to 1 April 2022. Guidelines for estimating completeness of civil registration of vital events (PDF) The Regional Workshop is being held as part of a project to strengthen capacity to implement inequality assessments of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems, which has been initiated by ESCAP and includes both in-country and regional level capacity strengthening activities. One element of this project relates to training on demographic skills to enable countries to implement the inequality assessments. The Regional Workshop aimed to provide technical guidance and enhance expertise on demographic methods with a focus on measuring completeness of the civil registration of births and deaths. The training divided into 6.5 hours of instruction and 6 hours of practical and hands-on exercises. It run for 2.5-3 hours a day over five days from 28 March to 1 April 2022. For more information, please see the concept note. , HOME - Project: Implementing Inequality Assessments Project countries: Bangladesh Fiji Lao PDR Pakistan Samoa Resources Regional Events

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Description: (Newsletter: CRVS Insight April 2022) The first regional workshop on estimating completeness of civil registration of births and deaths was held as part of an ongoing project initiated by ESCAP, to strengthen the demographic capacity of countries to implement inequality assessments of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems.   The workshop was conducted virtually over a period of five afternoons from 28 March to 1 April 2022 and all instruction and practical sessions were provided and facilitated by Professor Tom Moultrie, Professor of Demography, University of Cape Town, South Africa with support from ESCAP staff. At the end of the workshop, participants were expected to have a greater understanding of the issues underpinning the assessment and evaluation of the completeness of civil registration data on births and deaths.  Techniques for adjusting for vital events that may be reported in the future were presented, along with a number of approaches for estimating the completeness of vital events using sources of data such as census or administrative data. The programme, photos and presentations from the workshop can be found here.

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Title in Arabic: التحليل الديموغرافي وإنتاج المؤشرات الديموغرافية

Description: يمكن القول إن المؤشرات الديموغرافية تندرج ضمن المؤشرات الإحصائية الكلية، لأن الخصائص والاتجاهات والتغيرات الديموغرافية تؤثر بصورة مباشرة في كافة مناحي حياة المجتمعات البشرية، فحاجات السكان إلى كافة السلع والخدمات خاصة الأساسية منها ترتبط ارتباطاً مباشراً بعددهم وتركيبهم وبالتغيرات التي طرأت وتطرأ عليهم، كما أن خطط الحكومات وموازناتها لتقديم الخدمات لمواطنيها تتأثر بخصائص السكان وبالتغيرات الديموغرافية خاصة السريعة منها. لذا، تولي لكافة الدول عناية لجمع البيانات عن سكانها بإجراء التعدادات والمسوح وإنشاء السجلات الحيوية لتستطيع أن تقيس الخصائص والتغيرات السكانية عن طريق تقدير عدد من المقاييس والمؤشرات الديموغرافية. وتوفر هذه البيانات والمؤشرات عدة استعمالات منها بالاساس:   * التشخيص: معرفة وفهم الوضع الراهن واكتشاف وتحديد القضايا/المشكلات ومن ثم التخطيط للعمل على تغيير الوضع الراهن إلى الوضع المرغوب؛ *  التقييم: تقدير مقدار واتجاهات التغيرات أو النجاحات التي حققتها السياسات والخطط والبرامج خلال فترة زمنية معينة منتهية؛ *  التقديرات والإسقاطات السكانية: توقع الوضع المستقبلي للسكان؛ * حوار السياسات: تساعد المؤشرات الديموغرافية واضعي السياسات على فهم المشكلات القائمة والتباحث حولها وحول البدائل المتاحة لوضع الحلول المناسبة لها؛ * كسب المناصرة أو التأييد والدعم للسياسات والاستراتيجيات والبرامج السكانية ولأهدافها ورصد الموارد المالية اللازمة لتنفيذها.

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Description: (Newsletter: CRVS Insight March 2022) The eighth meeting of the Regional Steering Group for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific was organized online, on 9 and 10 March 2022, at 13:00-16:00 Bangkok time (GMT+7). The purpose of the meeting was to review the decisions made at the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific convened on 16-19 November 2021 and identify how the Regional Steering Group can support countries in implementing those decisions. The Regional Steering Group discussed a number of issues, including how to strengthen data exchange between stakeholders and ensure data protection and privacy; improving the resilience of CRVS systems and the role CRVS systems play in building resilience; the importance of removing barriers to registration; strengthening the vital event notification of the health sector and how to ensure sufficient funding for CRVS systems. The Regional Steering Group also welcomed a new Chair of the group, Mr Neel Singh, who is the Registrar-General, Births, Deaths and Marriages (‘BDM’) Office, Ministry of Justice, Fiji. Prior to taking up appointment as the Registrar-General in 2020, Mr Singh served as the Acting Official Receiver at Ministry of Justice from 2017 till 2019 and also served as an Executive Officer, Litigation at the Office of the Attorney-General from 2012-2017. Mr Singh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking Finance and Economics and also a diploma in Economics. As a RegistrarGeneral, he has a passion to make sure that every child gets registered and has a legal identity. Mr Singh has taken over as the chair of the Regional Steering Group from Ms. Kamni Naidu, Fiji, who did an excellent job as the chair of the group for a number of years.

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Description: Date and Time: 8:00 – 10:00 am, Thursday, February 24, 2022, NY time (EST/GMT-5). Please register here. Recognizing the importance of achieving SDG’s Target 16.9 — legal identity for all by 2030 - the United Nations Secretary-General's Executive Committee, in January 2018, mandated the Deputy Secretary-General to convene "UN entities to develop, in collaboration with the World Bank Group, a common approach to the broader issue of registration and legal identity...". To operationalize the decision of the Executive Committee, an inter-agency coordination mechanism — the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force (UNLIA TF) — was established, consisting of  13 UN agencies, co-chaired by UNDESA, UNDP and UNICEF, tasked to develop and implement the UN Legal Identity Agenda — a holistic approach to civil registration, vital statistics and identity management. This side event, organized by ESCAP, IOM, and UNSD (in collaboration with the other two co-chairs of UNLIA TF - UNICEF and UNDP), provides an opportunity for national statistical offices, international organizations and delegates of Permanent Missions to acquire a more detailed overview in respect to activities under the UN Legal Identity Agenda umbrella, in addition to the documents provided to the 53rd Session of the UN Statistical Commission.  For more information, please visit the event website.

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Description: This ministerial roundtable was organized by ESCAP. It took place online on 19 November 2021, from 12:30 to 13:30 hrs, Bangkok time. Overview: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the ability of governments to maintain services and routine functions, including the operation of national civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems.  The universal, compulsory, continuous, permanent, and confidential recording of the occurrence of all vital events is undermined by the various restrictions imposed by governments (quarantines, lockdowns, social and physical distancing measures, workplace closures, transit shutdowns, etc.). The resulting changes in civil registration systems have a definite negative impact on the quantity and quality of civil registrations. Many CRVS systems have considered marriages and divorces to be less important vital events, and a number of countries have suspended their registration. While innovative approaches are mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of civil registration systems and are supporting the generation of data for health surveillance during a health crisis, this often disproportionately excludes developing countries with poorer connectivity and infrastructure    This ministerial roundtable provided an opportunity to reflect on the challenges posed by the pandemic and potential solutions. Ministers was able to share their experiences of maintaining services during this difficult period as well as inspire and guide efforts to enhance the functioning of CRVS systems during emergencies in the second half of the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade.      Issues for discussion: How have countries responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic posed to the civil registration systems, ensuring the most marginalized and vulnerable populations also have access to vital services in the face of disruption and how are the systems managing to recover and adapt to the new situation?    CRVS systems need to be strengthened to avert catastrophic consequences prior to emergencies, respond effectively to crises and ensure a sustainable recovery. How can Governments and development partners comprehensively make the CRVS systems more robust to future crises and shocks?   The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that a well-performing CRVS system in normal times may not perform well in crises and emergencies. What are the key considerations to guide the redesign of both mature and immature CRVS towards resilience?

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Description: This warm-up session was organized by UNICEF, World Bank, UNHCR and UNDP . It took place online on 18 November 2021, from 12:45 to 13:30 hrs, Bangkok time, before starting Agenda item 7. The session featured an interactive discussion between panelists to share experiences of accessing and promoting legal identity with a focus on the experience of civil society organizations. It highlighted the role of civil registration in a country’s identity management systems, and looked at holistic approaches to the development of civil registration and vital statistics and legal identity systems in Asia and the Pacific. The discussion taking place during this session would help frame those that followed during Agenda item 7 of the provisional agenda.

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Description: This warm-up session was organized by UN Women, UNFPA, and ESCAP. It took place online on 18 November 2021, from 8:45 to 09:30 hrs, Bangkok time, before starting Day 3 of the Conference. Overview: Vital statistics derived from civil registration data have the potential to transform people’s lives. This warm-up session examined the importance of registering vital events throughout people’s lives and provided an opportunity to further align efforts in strengthening civil registration systems with efforts to improve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls everywhere.     Through interactive discussions, the session highlighted the strategic value of inclusive civil registration and vital statistics systems and the practical role of vital statistics in advancing gender equality and bodily autonomy. Specific country examples explored how vital statistics could and were being used to advance evidence and action to address important gender-related inequities such as gender-biased sex selection, adolescent fertility, preventable maternal deaths and gender equality within marital unions. The session also touched on the importance of promoting accurate civil registration and vital statistics in the context of responding to crises, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. The discussions taking place during this warm-up session would help frame those that followed during sessions 5 and 6 of the Ministerial Conference on: Vital statistics production, dissemination and usage: harnessing civil registration data for decision-making; and on: Implementing gender-sensitive civil registration and vital statistics systems through a life cycle approach.

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Description: This warm-up session was organized by ESCAP, UNHCR, World Vision and CRC Asia. It took place online on 17 November 2021, from 12:45 to 13:30 hrs, Bangkok time, before opening Agenda item 4 of the provisional agenda. Overview: This background document for the session provides an overview of how civil registration and vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific is related to the Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also discusses how progress in civil registration and vital statistics can be used as an accelerator for progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure no one is left behind. Progress in implementation of the Regional Action Framework is assessed with a development agenda lens, in particular the need to address disparities in the civil registration coverage of hard-to-reach and marginalized populations, including people living in rural, remote, isolated or border areas, minorities, indigenous people, migrants, non-citizens, asylum-seekers, refugees, stateless people, and people without documentation, as well as people living with disabilities. In this regard, the mid-term assessment results from the Asia and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade are examined including registration completeness and inequality assessments with recommendations for the way forward in the second half of the decade. Purpose:  The purpose of the session 4 was to provide member states and partners with various states’ good practices in achieving universal registration. The warm-up session featured the multisectoral collaboration in the Philippines in improving birth registration among indigenous Sama Bajau who live in remote areas, and gave the voice to a representative from Sama Bajau community to speak their mind. During the main session, member states as well as a regional institution i.e., ASEAN-ACWC shared experiences and highlighted areas of efforts for continued assessing and addressing of inequalities during the second half of the Asia and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade.

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Description: The Second Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific will be held in a hybrid modality with online participation and physical participation at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 16 to 19 November 2021 to mark the midpoint of the CRVS Decade (2015-2024). The objectives of the Conference include celebrating achievements during the first half of the CRVS Decade, promoting CRVS as the foundation for legal identity, and emphasizing the important role CRVS plays in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Link to Conference website Draft Report (中文 | English | Français | Русский) Draft programme Programme table with speakers Agenda and official documents Background documents Guide to Participation

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Description: This side-event was organized by ESCAP. It took place online on 16 November 2021, from 12:45 to 13:30 hrs, Bangkok time.  Overview: Since 2014, governments have been adapting the Regional Action Framework on CRVS into their comprehensive and multisectoral national CRVS strategies, with forty-one member States and associate members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) setting national targets to be achieved by 2024.  Encouraging trends are visible in the region, evidenced by rapid improvements in birth registration coverage and similar improvements noted in death registration.  Moreover, the use of civil registration records for vital statistics is continuously being enhanced to respond to the needs of users.  Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that information on the cause of death remains limited in many parts of Asia and the Pacific.  By progressing towards the goals of the Regional Action Framework, that is Goal 1 on universal registration, Goal 2 on the provision of legal documentation from civil registration, and Goal 3 on the production of vital statistics based on civil registration, countries are also supporting their achievement of the SDGs, facilitating the implementation of identity management systems and preparing to monitor and respond to future pandemics.   Purpose: This side event celebrated the progress made towards the goals of the Regional Action Framework, by showcasing three countries that have made significant reforms to their CRVS systems. The presentations and interactive discussion which followed, aimed to highlight the critical role of effective multisectoral coordination, dedicated resources and political commitment for achievement of the shared vision.  Agenda: 12:45-12:55: Introduction and agenda: Ms. Rachael Beaven, Director, Statistics Division, UNESCAP 12:55-13:03: Country presentation 1: Armenia – civil registration in rural communities (in hospitals and post offices), Ms. Ani Mkhitaryan, Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Armenia 13:03-13:11: Country presentation 2: Vanuatu – birth registration in the face of natural disasters (tropical cyclone Pam), Mr. Andy Calo, Director, Department of Civil Registry and Vital Statistics, Vanuatu 13:11-13:19:  Country presentation 3: Maldives – new CRVS platform: Ms. Sausan Shareef, Advocator-Project Management, Maldives 13:12-13:30:   Discussion

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Description: Link to view recording video here (Passcode: rp85^H?C) This side-event was organized by Vital Strategies in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative and partners. It took place online on 12 November 2021, from 11:00 to 12:00 hrs, Bangkok time. Background: As countries make strides to improve the quality, production, and reporting of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) data, it is important to have a foundation of the importance, analysis, and use of those data. It is also important to ensure that the data are reported and made available to decision-makers for policymaking.  The 10-session “Analysis and Use of Vital Statistics” (AUVS) eLearning Course is a fully virtual, interactive course that teaches participants how to conduct and interpret basic vital statistics data analysis. Participants will become more familiar with calculating vital statistics and the advanced uses of CRVS data. Participants will also learn to create high-quality vital statistics visualizations and reports and learn to disseminate CRVS data to multiple audiences and stakeholders. In combination with Production of a Vital Statistics Report resource kit, this course prepares participants to produce statistics and tabulations necessary for a national vital statistics report and prepare a plan for its dissemination and communication.  The modular course is divided into 10 sessions, which includes exercises and video “webisodes.” The webisodes provide a deeper understanding of important CRVS topics, such as verbal autopsy, excess mortality, completeness of registration, and developing effective visualizations for reporting on vital statistics.  The Ministerial Conference provides an opportunity to introduce this virtual approach to strengthening the production of vital statistics and championing the use of this data for decision-making. Online self-paced learning is a valuable tool for capacity development of government staff whose high workload and competing demands limit their availability to attend in-person meetings. This has also been especially useful during the pandemic. Furthermore, the online content can be used to supplement in-person development and could be relevant to a range of needs beyond the production of vital statistic reports.    Scope: This side event began with an audience Q&A regarding challenges involved in analyzing and presenting CRVS data and then offered an overview of the eLearning course and a linked panel discussion featuring country representatives from the region and technical experts who spoke on the different applications and value of the course for vital statistics production, dissemination, and use, addressing the issues raised by audience members. The panel discussion was followed by another question-and-answer session and information on how to access the course. This side event was relevant for countries in the region who were interested in strengthening the analytical capacity of CRVS team members and using this knowledge to produce and report on vital statistics. The course is an eLearning adaptation of the CRVS Data Use course, which was originally developed with Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative partners, included the US Centers for Disease Control and other partners. Background materials: AUVS course on Vital Strategies’ Learning Management System

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Description: This side-event was organized by World Vision International in collaboration with CRC Asia and ESCAP. It took place online on 12 November 2021, from 14:30 to 16:00 hrs, Bangkok time.  Background:      Count us in the Picture: Voices of Children and Youth on CRVS is a CAY (Children and Young People) co-created event that aimed to share the results of the Asia-Pacific Children and Youth Consultations and Regional Forum on CRVS to different stakeholders such as CSOs, Government, UN Agencies, ASEAN, and Child/Youth organizations. This served as a platform for children and young people to share their experiences and recommendations on birth registration, marriage registration and death registration. The results of the consultation and forum were the basis of the joint statement of children and youth on CRVS which will be presented during the Ministerial Conference on CRVS on 17 November.  Scope:      This side event engaged child/youth speakers, World Vision, CRC Asia, UNICEF, ESCAP, government representatives, ASEAN and UN Child Rights Committee. This was live streamed in social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube) and utilized promotional materials, posters and videos from the in country-consultations and regional forum. This also served as the launch of the report on the Asia-Pacific Children and Youth Consultations and Regional Forum on CRVS.

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Description: This side-event was organized by UNICEF. It took place online on 11 November 2021, from 14:30 to 16:00 hrs, Bangkok time. Background:      The ability of individuals to prove their identity – and the ability of governments to accurately identify beneficiaries – is a direct or indirect enabler of several SDGs, including those relating to gender equality and empowerment, access to basic health and education services, and child protection. Unique identifiers (usually in the form of a unique identification number) can be an important element in a well-functioning CRVS system and are increasingly important in identity management and data linkage – both within line ministries, and between ministries and the national statistical system. Scope:      UNICEF has a specific mandate to protect, respect and uphold the rights of children and their families globally, and to help facilitate full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); including supporting the establishment of a legal identity at birth. Unique identification numbers are used across a broad range of functional registers – including health, education, and child protection, improving the accountability and effectiveness of cash programming. But a discussion on when and how to link data – balancing privacy against the risks of not using data, and harnessing new technologies to help improve service delivery for better outcomes and improved inclusivity is often needed.    This side event aimed to give participants a better understanding of the various approaches to unique identifiers being used in administrative data systems relevant to children, common and emerging practices globally, current international recommendations and best-practice examples (and their consistency across sectors), and the benefits and risks of these approaches and recommendations.

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Description: This side-event was organized by Vital Strategies in partnership with ESCAP and WHO South-East Asia Regional Office. It took place online on 10 November 2021, from 12:00 to 13:30 hrs, Bangkok time.  Background:      Based on recent experiences of CRVS system strengthening efforts in Asia and the Pacific as well as other parts of the world, there is a growing realization among the CRVS community that improving business processes of a civil registration system is key to the improvement of registration completeness and services in the quickest possible time. The recently launched CRVS Systems Improvement Framework provides detailed guidance for countries to apply an innovative, multi-sectoral, participatory, and process-centric approach to continually improve the performance of CRVS systems. With support from Vital Strategies, WHO-SEARO, and ESCAP, countries in Asia and Pacific are implementing efforts to strengthen their CRVS system using the process-centric approach. The Ministerial Conference provided an opportunity to introduce this innovative approach to CRVS system strengthening to other countries in the region in the form of a workshop and to share experiences form countries applying the methodology.  Scope:      The side event started off with an introduction to the process-centric methodology of CRVS system improvement and brief presentations of lessons learned from countries in Asia and Pacific that had applied the methodology. This was followed by a workshop during which participants could gain hands-on experience of part of the methodology. The side event was relevant for all countries in the region interested in strengthening their CRVS system. As background material, please see the CRVS Systems Improvement Framework, the webinar to launch the Framework, and the e-learning course of the Framework.

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Description: This side-event was organized by Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Pakistan in partnership with UNICEF Pakistan Office. It took place online on 8 November 2021, from 14:30 to 16:00 hrs, Bangkok time.  Background: The Ministerial Declaration and Regional Action Framework commit countries to continue the work to enable the Asia-Pacific region to improve and align efforts, as well as tracking progress towards getting everyone in the picture. Reaffirming the human right of everyone to be recognized everywhere as a person before the law, which is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Regional Action Framework on CRVS responds to that request as a catalyst for Governments and development partners to focus and accelerate their efforts to realize a shared vision and the three CRVS goals outlined during the proposed civil registration and vital statistics decade for Asia and the Pacific (2015-2024).  The Regional Action Framework facilitates collaborative action at local, provincial, national and international levels by enabling multiple stakeholders to align and prioritize their efforts, as well as to monitor progress towards achieving shared results. The realization of the shared vision depends on coordinated and concerted efforts to develop and enhance the capacities of members and associate members. In order to follow the Regional Action Framework Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (Technical Support Unit for CRVS) is proposing “Establishment of CRVS Sister Districts in SAARC Countries”. This will provide opportunities to all member countries to share experience based CRVS implementation processes, CRVS reforms and legislations at National level. This initiative will also be productive for countries which are in initial phase of implementation of CRVS reforms. Based on the reforms and legislations the best CRVS model will be designed for Sister Districts which will be replicated in the respective identified districts of all SARRC Countries. Scope: The side event provided opportunity to other member countries for sharing their inputs regarding "Establishment of CVRS Sister Districts". Consensus was made through debate and opportunities were shared by potential donors in terms of funding’s if available. UNESCAP had identified Asian Countries and in collaboration various events like Workshops, Summits and International Conferences were already conducted. The Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives took the leading role in planning and establishing of Sister's Districts. The forum also helped in identification of opportunities and bridging the gaps pertaining to this model: To learn from experiences of regional SAARC countries for acceleration and enhancement of vital events registration and to ensure vital statistics of international importance. To deliberate on prospects for institutionalization of a Civil Registrar’s network of SAARC counties (CR8), scope of its functioning, information sharing and mutual cooperation. To share experience based best practices and ensure implementation across the region among Sister Districts mutual coordination. To develop coordination mechanism among CRVS Sister Districts.

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Description: This side-event was organized by UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. It took place online on 8 November 2021, from 11:00 to 12:30 hrs, Bangkok time.  Background & Scope: UNHCR provides international protection to individuals who are refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, internally displaced, stateless, or at risk of statelessness. As part of this mandate, UNHCR promotes birth registration for children born to refugee parents. All States in the ESCAP region are State Parties to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which provides that children “shall be registered immediately after birth”. This wording includes children born to refugees, regardless of the fact whether a country has signed up to international standards for the protection of refugees. The Ministerial Declaration to “Get everyone in the picture” in Asia and the Pacific, adopted at the Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and Pacific on 28 November 2014 recognizes the need to address disparities in the civil registration that affect refugees. In addition, the Declaration affirms the critical role of civil registration for the prevention of statelessness, and the promotion of durable solutions for refugees. However, children born to refugee parents still face challenges regarding their birth registration in various countries of the Asia and Pacific region. The side event therefore explored how such challenges can be successfully addressed. Practice examples from ESCAP Member States illustrate how they have made birth registration work among refugees (and, possibly, other persons under UNHCR’s protection mandate). UNHCR protection staff from the same countries explained how UNHCR can support governments to make birth registration of children born to refugee parents operational. The event included presentations by government and civil society partners.  Agenda: 11:00 - 11:15 Introduction by Mrs. Aurvasi Patel, UNHCR RBAP Head of Protection Service: The role of birth registration in refugee protection 11:15 - 11:25 Statement by youth activist, scholar and former refugee Mrs. Safia Ibrahimkel 11:25 - 12:25 Best practices in ESCAP Member States regarding the inclusion of birth registration of refugees into national mainstream civil registration systems Central Asia: Mrs. Elvira Azimova, National Human Rights Commissioner in the Republic of Kazakhstan South-East Asia: Asst. Prof. Darunee Paisanpanichkul, Deputy Dean for Legal Research and Service, Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Pacific Region: Mr. Mark Rowe, UNHCR Multi-Country Office, Canberra Panel and debate moderated by Mr. Matthias Reuss, UNHCR RBAP Senior Statelessness Officer 12:25 - 12:30 Concluding remarks by Mrs. Aurvasi Patel, UNHCR RBAP: Way forward towards comprehensive birth registration among children of refugees and other persons falling within UNHCR’s protection mandate

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Description: Link to view recording video here. This side-event was organized by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with Government of Japan. It took place online on 25 October 2021, from 9:00 to 10:30 hrs, Bangkok time.  Background:      As the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to roll out worldwide (albeit at a much slower pace in many parts of the Global South, largely due to ‘vaccine hoarding’ in the Global North), it is critical for governments to keep track on exactly how many people have been vaccinated within their borders. Many governments have also started to make possession of a COVID-19 vaccination certificate a pre-requisite for participation in essential activities – such as international travel or entry into public buildings. Subsequently, the assimilation of vaccination records as a component of overall identity data, linking closely with functional ID systems, is becoming increasingly more important.  Depending on its existing civil registration system and the level of completeness of such registries, different governments have taken unique innovative measures in order to track the levels of vaccination. Some governments link the vaccination record to the foundational ID (birth certificate or national ID card), and others use biometrics to track records without necessarily linking them to the civil registry. While crucially important to track vaccination records as thoroughly as possible, many privacy concerns have been raised as vaccination records represent sensitive personal health information.   In this side event, different innovative approaches to COVID-19 vaccination record keeping, and its linkage with civil registration and national ID systems, were shared.  Scope:  This side event addressed the innovative digital/technological solutions that governments had implemented to track vaccination records and cross-check them, or link them, with civil registration/national ID records. Representatives from 2-3 countries in Asia-Pacific showcased their innovative approaches and UNDP drew lessons learned from each country case.  Speakers:  Sarah Lister - Head of Governance, Bureau for Policy and Programming Support, UNDP Masanori Kusunoki - Director General, Digital Agency, Government of Japan Meerjady Sabrina Flora - Additional Director General, Directorate General or Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh Posikai Samuel - Director Planning and Policy, Ministry of Health, Government of Vanuatu Anit Mukherjee - Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development Moderator: Risa Arai - Programme Specialist (Legal Identity), Governance, Bureau for Policy and Programming Support, UNDP

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Description: The Regional Forum is co-organized by Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia), World Vision International (WVI), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) in preparation for the 2nd Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific from 16 to 19 November 2021. It will serve as a platform for Civil Society Organizations involved in CRVS in Asia and the Pacific to share their knowledge and experiences ahead of the Conference. It will take place online on 20 October, from 13:00 to 15:00 hours, Bangkok time. More information can be found here.

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Description: About the session This Stats Café will launch the recently completed ESCAP guide on how to map a population’s exposure to flood hazard. The Café is organized in collaboration with APDIM and IDD who will participate as session moderators and discussants. The session will include a presentation from a National Statistics Office on their own disaster statistics work and discuss the functionality of the tool in that regard. This Stats Café will highlight how geospatial data and techniques can be used by National Statistics Offices to produce maps, visualizations and statistical tables in their disaster statistics work. Further, the session will discuss possible uses of the tool for phases of the Disaster Risk Management Cycle and reporting to and monitoring of the Sendai Monitoring Framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Session will highlight the following: ESCAP-SD’s recently completed tool “Mapping Population Exposure to Hazard”. This guide is aimed at getting users familiar with downloading and using geospatial data and programs to produce maps which show the percentage of the population exposed to flood hazard. The ESCAP-SD presentation will underscore how geospatial techniques included in the tool can be applied to generate information that would be helpful to National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in their Disaster Statistics work Discussion from Bangladesh NSO on the usefulness of the tool and how similar GIS work and methodology can be applied to the Disaster Statistics Work the institution is doing Discussion from ESCAP-IDD on the functionality of the tool and geospatial techniques regarding Disaster Risk Management and reporting for SDGs. , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events in 2021 Concluded events in 2020

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Description: The special theme of the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on Population and Development will be Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth. The theme is related to chapter III of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development, which took place in Cairo in September 1994. That chapter emphasized the need to integrate population in development strategies and to address the interlinkages between population, sustained economic growth and poverty on the one hand, and between population and the environment on the other. These issues remain relevant today and have, in fact, assumed new importance and urgency. Since the Cairo conference, there has been an accumulation of evidence on environmental problems attributable to unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. Such problems are compounded and amplified by continuing population growth. Population ageing, a gradual but relentless global demographic trend, brings the potential of economic benefits and personal opportunities associated with longer and healthier lives, as well as increased fiscal and macroeconomic pressures. As more countries are entering advanced stages of population ageing, those with persistently low levels of fertility face the reality or the prospect of population decline and need to formulate appropriate policy responses. This expert group meeting will review the latest evidence and analysis of these topics, drawing from the experiences of countries in all regions of the world. The presentations and discussion during the expert meeting are expected to generate inputs for the preparation of the Secretary-General's report on the theme of the fifty-fifth session of the Commission.

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Description: At World Population Day 2021, which is observed on 11 July each year, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility will take center stage as the main theme for the commemoration. To mark the day, UN DESA’s Population Division, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is organizing an online panel discussion of leading demographers and population experts on 14 July from 9 to 9.45 am EDT to discuss the impact of the pandemic on fertility preferences and behaviours, the availability and use of family planning, teenage marriage, challenges of data collection and more. The webinar will be moderated by Mr. Raj Kumar, founding President and Editor-in-Chief of DevexExternal link.

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Description: On 9 July, Eurostat presented the new interactive publication 'Demography of Europe'. This publication presents European statistics on the population and looks at different aspects, such as population development the trend of an ageing population longer lives having children at an older age getting married and many more.

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Description: Civil registration and vital statistics play a key role in facilitating the monitoring of progress in the SDGs where they serve as a denominator for a wide range of demographic goals and indicators. These statistics are a source of continuous and up-to-date information on birth, death and population statistics. Arab countries have civil registration systems, but some are unable to produce vital statistics according to international standards and recommendations. This is largely due to incomplete or insufficient registration, limited capacity in some countries, as well as recent and ongoing conflicts and other emergencies in others. However, in light of the regional preliminary assessments and in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, there is still a need for a coordinated effort to improve civil registration and vital statistics systems in the Arab region. Member States have requested international and regional organizations to resume technical support and improve coordination between agencies at country levels in this area. In this context, ESCWA’s Cluster on Statistics, the Information Society and Technology, in coordination and cooperation with the Center of Excellence for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems of the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC) and WHO Regional Office, is organizing a virtual workshop on developing a strategic framework on civil registration systems and vital statistics for the period (2021-2025) in the Arab countries on 14 and 23 June 2021. On its first day, the workshop aims to review the outlines of the draft strategy for improving civil registration and vital statistics systems for the period 2021-2025 in the Arab countries It will also discuss the questionnaire prepared by ESCWA aiming to collect data on civil registration systems in member countries to monitor progress made in the previous five years and development plans for the next five years, and ways to complete it to obtain the highest response from countries. Based on the outcomes of the workshop’s first day, the second day of the workshop aims to present the framework of the regional strategy plan for the development of civil registries and vital statistics in the Arab countries and to discuss ways and scenarios for their implementation. Meeting details Concept note

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Description: The region has reached the midpoint of the Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade (2015-2024). The Decade is dedicated to achieving universal and responsive CRVS systems. CRVS systems provide individuals with a legal identity, facilitating access to public services, while supporting governments by producing better data to guide decision making. The COVID-19 crisis has further put a spotlight on the importance of CRVS systems by revealing the stark inequalities and fragility of our health care and social protection systems. The lack of well-functioning CRVS systems means we will never know the full impact of the pandemic in terms of the number of deaths and those affected by the crisis, never mind our ability to provide timely social and economic support. The report shows that the Asia-Pacific region is on the right path to reach goals of universal and responsive CRVS systems. CRVS systems are much better positioned to respond to the crisis than they would have been five years ago. This report will be launched, at the regional level, by Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. The launch will also feature opening remarks by Ms. Kamni Naidu, Administrator-General, Ministry of Justice, Fiji as the Chair of Regional Steering Group for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, presentations on report findings and sharing experiences on country progress from Bangladesh and Georgia. The regional launch will be followed by 4 subregional launches, which narrows in on the particular challenges faced in each sub-region (the Pacific, South and South West Asia, South East Asia, and North and Central Asia) as per date and time in the schedule below. The report is prepared as part of the analysis to inform the organization of the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific 16-19 November 2021. Regional and Subregional Launches for Midterm CRVS Report Launches Date Time Registration link Regional Launch 28 June 2021 13:00-14:00 (BKK time) https://forms.office.com/r/qkH3y0qFwf Subregional Launch in Pacific 29 June 2021 09:00-10:00 (BKK time) https://forms.office.com/r/EPGY0quRuz Subregional Launch in South and South West Asia 29 June 2021 13:00-14:30 (BKK Time)   Subregional Launch in South East Asia 1 July 2021 10:00-11:00 (BKK Time) https://forms.office.com/r/fsqNYYY1KZ Subregional Launch in North and Central Asia 1 July 2021 15:00-16:00 (Almaty time)  

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Description: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the inclusion of the marginalized population in its implementation. This requires that development efforts cover all segments of the society, including the hard-to-count populations for whom there is either a perceived or real barrier for representative inclusion in the data collection process. Hard-to-count populations such as those that are hard to locate, contact, or interview may not be captured in large-scale data collection processes such as censuses, surveys and administrative data sources. National Statistics Offices and partner organizations use various strategies and methodologies for inclusion of these population groups. For example, deploying service-based enumeration to collect data on homelessness, partnering with organizations to reach migrant populations who may have the fear of being counted or the use of distance learning technology to monitor the educational attainment of remote rural communities. This webinar, part of the UN World Data Forum series, will bring together various actors to: Share experiences in using innovative methods to capture hard-to-count populations; Showcase successful partnerships between governments, civil society and international organizations to capture these population groups.

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Description: About the session Since the beginning of the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade in 2015, multiple countries in the region have embarked on using civil registration records for the production of vital statistics reports, which is one of the targets of the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. To support countries in this endeavour, ESCAP and other partners have been providing technical assistance and developed tools facilitating the calculation, analysis and presentation of vital statistics, including the revision of the Guide for the Production of a Vital Statistics Report released in December 2020. Nevertheless, at least 17countries in the region have yet to use civil registration records for producing vital statistics. This Stats Café session brought together three countries which recently developed a vital statistics report to discuss their experiences. Programme Welcome remarks and introduction of the speakers by David Rausis, Associate Statistician, Statistics Division, ESCAP Status of vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific and presentation of the revised Guide for the Production of a Vital Statistics Report by Ulysse Boiteau Montéville, Statistical Support Officer, Statistics Division, ESCAP Country experiences by Phuntsho Dorji, National Statistics Bureau, Bhutan Donora Rukhadze, National Statistics Office of Georgia Meli Nadakuca, Fiji Bureau of Statistics Questions and Answers , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events

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Description: The Regional Steering Group is responsible for overseeing and steering the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, also acting as the custodian of the Asia and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015 - 2024). With 22 representatives from member states and 8 development partners, the 30 members of the RSG encompass diverse regions and sectors including civil registration, statistics, health and planning, and was endorsed by the ESCAP Commission at its seventy-first session in May 2015. The group has met annually since its establishment in 2015 and will do so for a seventh time on the 18 and 19 May 2021, 13.00-16.00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7), in a virtual meeting. The discussions will be focused on the preparation of the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific to take place in November 2021. The content of sessions and the advancement of the concept notes will be presented. The modalities of the conference as well as its outcomes will also be discussed by participants. The meeting will help streamlining preparations and gain traction for the conference.

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Description: The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing an expert meeting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 10 and 11 May 2021. The purpose of the meeting is: (a) to review experiences from past public health and economic crises and identify mechanisms through which the COVID-19 pandemic may affect fertility in various parts of the world; (b) to assess recent data on marriage and union formation, fertility preferences, use of family planning, and reported numbers of births from selected countries with a view to assess the possible impact of the pandemic on fertility; and (c) to provide recommendations for the Division to develop assumptions on the impact of the pandemic on fertility levels and trends at the global, regional and subregional levels in the short to medium term in support of the official United Nations population estimates and projections that are currently being revised and updated by the Division. To facilitate the discussion, the Population Division has designed a short questionnaire to collect expert views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility. The results will be discussed in the last session of the meeting and will be used to inform the forthcoming revision of the World Population Prospects.

Target Audience: The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing an expert meeting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 10 and 11 May 2021. The purpose of the meeting is: (a) to review experiences from past public health and economic crises and identify mechanisms through which the COVID-19 pandemic may affect fertility in various parts of the world; (b) to assess recent data on marriage and union formation, fertility preferences, use of family planning, and reported numbers of births from selected countries with a view to assess the possible impact of the pandemic on fertility; and (c) to provide recommendations for the Division to develop assumptions on the impact of the pandemic on fertility levels and trends at the global, regional and subregional levels in the short to medium term in support of the official United Nations population estimates and projections that are currently being revised and updated by the Division. To facilitate the discussion, the Population Division has designed a short questionnaire to collect expert views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility. The results will be discussed in the last session of the meeting and will be used to inform the forthcoming revision of the World Population Prospects.

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Description: A Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) of 3 October 1946. In its resolution 49/128 of 19 December 1994, the General Assembly decided that the Commission should be renamed the Commission on Population and Development. In the same resolution, the Assembly decided that it, the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism that would play the primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, would monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels and advise the Council thereon.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: About the event Understanding the true impact of COVID-19 on mortality requires reliable data that are not always available in a timely manner in many low-resource settings. Further, while we are far from universal registration of deaths in Asia and the Pacific, we also know that the deaths of some population groups are even less likely to be registered. This side event highlighted two points: Civil registration as foundation for legal identity Strengthening civil registration and vital statistics through a holistic approach and integrating civil registration with ID systems can contribute towards ensuring that everyone is counted and that the SDGs deliver a life of dignity for all. Civil registration and vital statistics is an accelerator for SDG achievement and building back better post COVID-19, legal identity and accurate information on the population are essential for monitoring mortality and service delivery in the response and recovery to crises.  

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Description: The Centre of Excellence for CRVS Sytems is organizing a webinar on legal identity in post conflict situations:  How can legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks be restructured to be more inclusive and provide trusted and trustworthy identity credentials to everyone? In post-conflict settings, how can undocumented adults, marginalized populations and refugees be registered? This webinar will share findings from research that documents how Afghanistan, Georgia, Rwanda and South Africa have made registration of vital events more accessible by adjusting or removing legal and institutional obstacles in post-conflict settings. Implicitly these countries are attempting to provide all citizens, residents and refugees with a legal identity, but in practice some of them fall short. The study found that in each country studied civil registration and legal identity systems were recognized as part of the healing and reconciliation processes in their countries.   You can learn more here. Simultaneous French, Portuguese and English translation will be available. The even will take place on Tuesday 16 March, 19:00-21:00h (Bangkok time). You can register here, and follow the discussions here.

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Description: The Centre of Excellence for CRVS Sytems is organizing a virtual training on how to enhance demand for civil registration services through training on communication for development: Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) communication has developed rapidly in the last decades, towards engaging and mobilizing communities and populations to find solutions to their problems and to become the promoters and owners of programmatic results. Promising results from areas such as health, reduction of harmful practices, local development, gender equity and others have proved that engaging communities and factoring in social norms, can help programs go way beyond what was possible with traditional communication programs, predominantly based on providing information. This series of 3  training sessions is based on the newly developed handbook on “Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, Identity Management: Communication for Development targeting CRVS practitioners in LMICs” developed by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) with technical and financial support from the Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems. The handbook provides guidance on the use of different tools to research, design, implement strategies and measure Social and Behavior Change/ Communication for Development. This  training series will introduce and prepare the participants on the use of the Social and Behavioral Change tools, develop an understanding and awareness of the objectives and value of behavioral change tools, and also open the discussion on opportunities and challenges, exploring the needs and interests for further training in the area. You can learn more here.

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Description: The Stats Café is the last of a three-seminar series which aims to provide practical and clear guidance for countries in Asia and the Pacific on measuring the inequalities in CRVS with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gap in civil registration. Each seminar comprises of a webinar which is open to all, and a subsequent Expert Group Meeting on the same topic which is by invitation only. About the session ESCAP Statistics Division, in collaboration with international and national organizations, is organizing a three-seminar series under the theme, “Inequalities in CRVS: Let’s really get every one in the picture!”. This seminar series aims to provide practical and clear guidance for countries in Asia and the Pacific on measuring the inequalities in CRVS with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gap in civil registration. Each seminar comprises of a webinar which is open to all, and a subsequent Expert Group Meeting on the same topic is by invitation only. This webinar, speakers shared their knowledge and experiences on indirect demographic methods for measuring completeness and coverage of registration of vital events with focus on their application in low capacity countries. , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events

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Description: As part of the 52nd United Nations Statistical Commission, UNSD is organizing a side event for national statistical offices, international organizations and delegates of Permanent Missions to acquire a more detailed overview of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the functioning of civil registration and vital statistics worldwide, and more specifically through the lens of the UN Legal Identity Agenda (UN LIA). Several topics will be discussed, such as (a) international standards for civil registration and statistics vital and its implementation in countries; (b) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations and maintenance of civil registration and production of vital statistics; (c) the short-term and long-term consequences in the recording of vital events due to the pandemic, (d) ensuring universal civil registration of all events beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, (e) reporting on the UN LIA implementation in African pilot countries, and (f) partners' experiences in supporting UN LIA during the pandemic. The event will take place on Friday, 26 February 2021, from 9:00 to 10:45 AM New York time, or 9:00 to 10:45 PM Bangkok time. You can join the meetings virtually here. You can find more details here.

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Description: Within its recently initiated Webinar Series on Statistical Experience Sharing, SESRIC will organise a webinar on “Population Statistics and Censuses” on 22 February 2021 in collaboration with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) with the participation of official statisticians working in National Statistical Offices of the OIC countries. This webinar will cover the following topics related to population statistics and censuses: History of Population Censuses in Turkey Address Based Population Registration System 2011 Population and Housing Census 2021 Population and Housing Census (Towards a Register-Based Census) The webinar will be conducted through a video conferencing platform by following synchronous learning and instruction approaches designed in line with the virtual training solutions undertaken by SESRIC in order to better serve the Centre’s training activities and keep participants motivated and engaged during this time of global crisis due to COVID-19. For more information on the SESRIC Statistical Experience Sharing Webinar Series, please visit: https://www.oicstatcom.org/webinar-series.php Documents: Concept Note (English)

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Description: The Regional Steering Group is responsible for overseeing and steering the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, also acting as the custodian of the Asia and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015 - 2024). With 22 representatives from member states and 8 development partners, the 30 members of the RSG encompass diverse regions and sectors including civil registration, statistics, health and planning, and was endorsed by the ESCAP Commission at its seventy-first session in May 2015. The group has met annually since its establishment in 2015 and will do so for a sixth time on the 8 and 9 December 2020, in a virtual meeting. The topics discussed during the meeting will include general knowledge sharing on the continuation of CRVS during COVID-19 as well as discussions of the findings from the midterm review of the CRVS Decade. In preparation of the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific to take place in November 2021, discussions will also be held on the concept notes and plans for the sessions of the conference. Link to meeting website

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Description: About the session Numbers of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced person (IDPs) have increased rapidly in recent years. Moreover, many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are affected by forced displacement either as a source, point of transit, or host of refugees, asylum seekers or IDPs, making forced displacement a global regional and national phenomenon. Turkey hosts some 3.9 million refugees and asylum-seekers, the most of any country in the world. Particular challenges with data on displacement and asylum include the lack of common definitions and harmonization and the scattering of data among different stakeholders, the political nature of displacement and asylum where poor data can contribute to misperceptions and distort public opinion, and the difficulties in reporting on hard to reach and marginalized populations. This Stats Café brought together experts from international and regional organizations and national governments to discuss experiences in producing and using displacement and asylum statistics. Speakers: Welcome: Ms. Gemma Van Halderen, Director, Statistics Division, ESCAP Expert Group on Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Statistics (EGRIS): Ms. Vibeke Oestreich Nielsen, United Nations Statistics Division Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset (ACMID): Mr. Lev Makaev, Australian Bureau of Statistics International Migration Statistics based on Administrative Registers: Ms. Dilek Yilmaz, Turkish Statistical Institute Reaching Refugee Populations through Official Statistics: Mr. Alessandro Telo, UNHCR Questions and answers: Ms. Petra Nahmias, Statistics Division, ESCAP --------------------- >> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: Newsletter: CRVS Insight November 2020 (2) The CRVS Partnership for Asia and the Pacific is composed of different international organizations and development partners involved in programs related to the improvement of CRVS systems in the Asia-Pacific region. The Partnership meets regularly to discuss preparations for upcoming events and engage in round table information sharing meant to enable project alignment. Their next meeting, planned for 2 December, will focus on continued preparations for the Regional Steering Group meeting happening the following week. Plans for the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, programmed to take place in November 2021, will also be discussed, especially regarding the children and youth consultation.

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Description: The webinars on the impact of COVID-19 on civil registration and vital statistics are organized to address:

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Description: About the session Technological advances in the use of population registers for the purposes of administration and service delivery has increased interest in establishing them or developing them further. At the same time, increased demand for timely and disaggregated data, such as for monitoring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, amplifies interest in population registers as a source of statistical data, especially with regards to up to date and granular population estimates. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the need to broaden statistical methods and sources, including the use of administrative data such as registers for statistical production. For example, it is impossible to calculate accurate and timely mortality rates, a key indicator of the impact of COVID-19, where the exposed population is not correctly known. This Stats Café brought together experts from international and regional organizations and national governments to discuss experiences using population registers as a critical source of population data while also recognizing their role in facilitating the realization of universal legal identity. Speakers Welcome Remarks – Petra Nahmias, ESCAP Population statistics from Population Registers: Experience from Norway and other countries – Mr. Helge Brunborg, Statistics Norway Producing Vital Statistics using Administrative Data in Singapore – Ms. Kua Hui Shan, Singapore I.R. Iran’s Population Registration at a glance – Mr. Sayed Mohammad Hosseini, I.R. Iran The Potential Use of Population Registers to Generate Socio-Demographic Statistics – Mr. Christophe Lefranc, UNFPA Questions and answers – Ms. Petra Nahmias, ESCAP --------------------- >> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: The purpose of the meeting is to assess the coverage and accuracy and consistency of the data and estimates related to early adolescent fertility and to review the scope of associated demographic factors to assess the accuracy of early adolescent fertility data and estimates. The invited experts from United Nations system entities, research institutions and data producers will also review and discuss approaches for early adolescent fertility data validation, estimation and selection for SDG reporting and analysis. This online meeting of two half-day sessions on 26-27 October 2020 is organized as panel discussions around selected themes addressing data sources, methods to estimate early adolescent fertility data and approaches for data validation and selection for SDG reporting and analysis.

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Description: Civil registration (CR) is the recording of vital events in a person’s life (e.g., birth, death) and is a fundamental function of the national government. Birth registration establishes an individual’s legal identity at birth. Having a legal identity, name, nationality, proof of age, and the related are important human rights and enables individuals to exercise their rights (e.g., to vote) and enjoy various government, social, and private services. Vital statistics (VS) are statistics on these vital events and of the persons concerned. The availability of reliable and up-to-date VS depends on the level of development of CR. Having an effective CRVS system is critical for planning and monitoring programs across several sectors. Yet, over 110 low- and middle-income countries have deficient CRVS systems. This course provides practical tools and approaches to achieving 21st century state-of-the-art CRVS systems that are linked to identity management systems and tailored to local contexts. Completion of Modules 1-3 (Basic Level in the self-paced format https://olc.worldbank.org/content/civil-registration-and-vital-statistics-systems-self-paced) is a pre-requisite for the Facilitated format. The duration of the course is 6 weeks. Learners will receive an Advanced Level Certificate after successfully completing Module 5 (birth registration & adoption), Module 6 (death registration), plus three additional modules of the learner’s choice (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13).

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Description: These webinars are organized by DESA/SD, on behalf of the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force, in collaboration with the Global CRVS Group, the Organization of American States and UNECLAC, will target national statisticial officers and civil registrars in Latin America and address (a) international standards for civil registration and vital statistics and their implementation in countries/areas; (b) impact on the operations and maintenance of civil registration and production of vital statistics in the time of COVID-19 pandemic; (c) short- and long-term consequences on registration of vital events due to the pandemic, and (d) beyond COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring universal civil registration of all vital events and production of comprehensive, reliable and regular vital statistics.

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Description: Knowing how many people are dying and where they are is essential to tracking the virus’ spread and determining its impact. While this sounds simple, COVID-19 has exposed deep and pervasive gaps in death registration systems in Asia and the Pacific, especially in low-income countries. This seventh session of the Stats Café will look at how deaths, including causes of death, are being monitored and reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether it involved changes to the health information system. The session will also discuss how the information about deaths and causes of death is being shared with the civil registration authorities and used for the production of vital statistics. Agenda Welcome: Gemma Van Halderen, ESCAP Statistics Division Monitoring excess mortality due to COVID-19 and making it make sense for policy makers: Mark Landry, WHO Mortality reporting: ABS process changes in the COVID-19 pandemic: Lauren Moran, Australia Sri Lanka’s experience with monitoring and reporting COVID-19 deaths: Nandalal Wijesekera, Sri Lanka COVID-19 and CRVS: Doris Ma Fat, WHO General questions: David Rausis, ESCAP Statistics Division --------------------- >> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the inability to hold in-person meetings at the United Nations, the formal meetings of the 53rd session of the Commission on Population and Development, originally scheduled for 30 March – 3 April 2020, could not be held. Informal meetings and consultations on draft proposals were convened virtually by the Chair. In accordance with Economic and Social Council decisions 2020/205, 2020/206 and 2020/219, outcomes of the fifty-third session were adopted via silence procedure. The work of the session was concluded on 10 July 2020.

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Description: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides for a comprehensive process to review progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets at national, regional and global levels. Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) allow Member States to present the progress made at the national level during the annual High-level Political Forum. These reviews, prepared through a country-led process supported by UN system entities, aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences — both successes and challenges — among Member States, with a view towards accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Quality, accessible, timely, reliable and disaggregated data on population trends, including migration trends, are required to measure progress in implementing the SDGs and to ensure that no one is left behind (A/RES/70/1). Indeed, population data are crucial for the compilation of a large number of indicators contained in the global indicator framework for monitoring the SDGs and targets (A/RES/71/313). This VNR lab aims to bring together national policymakers and experts from countries that have recently prepared VNRs, as well as representatives of international organizations and other stakeholders, with a view to exchanging knowledge and sharing good practices on the use of population data, including data on migration, for VNRs and national SDG monitoring. The lab will provide a forum for countries to discuss their experiences in integrating population-related data and indicators into their VNRs. Participants will review good practices and lessons learned in collecting, compiling and disseminating population and related data and indicators. The lab will facilitate a discussion of recommended actions to accelerate the availability, quality and comparability of such information over the next decade.

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Title in French: Conférence - Statistiques démographiques et état civil : quoi de nouveau pour les INS?

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Description: Asia-Pacific Stats Cafe series: Conducting a census during the Covid-19 pandemic: challenges and approaches, Monday, 29 June 2020 at 12:00-13:00 p.m. (Bangkok Time) As the world grapples with the spread of COVID-19, many countries are dealing with the implications of the outbreak on preparations and implementation of the 2020 census round. The COVID-19 pandemic will threaten the successful conduct of censuses in many countries through delays, interruptions that compromise quality, or complete cancellation of census projects.The potential disruption of the 2020 census round could be particularly significant for those who have census planned for this or next year. Many Countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region with a census planned for 2020 or 2021 representing nearly 4 billion people, more than half the world’s population. Even countries planning censuses at a later date may be impacted by the pandemic at different stages of the census cycle. UNFPA has published a guidance note on population censuses in the time of COVID-19 at unfpa.org/resources/technical-brief-implications-covid-19-census. Objectives: Discuss impact of COVID19 on 2020 Census round in the region Share country experiences in managing censuses planned for 2020, including both traditional and register-based censuses Agenda: Opening and introduction: Gemma Van Halderen, Director, Statistics Division, ESCAP Overview of the 2020 Census Round in Asia and the Pacific: Christophe Lefranc, Regional Population and Development Technical Adviser, UNFPA Country experience 1: Singapore - Seet Chia Sing, Director of Census Office, Dept. of Statistics Country experience 2: Philippines - Minerva Eloisa P. Esquivias, Assistant National Statistician, PSA Country experience 3: Indonesia - M.Nashrul Wajdi, Statistician and Researcher, BPS Q and A: Moderator - Petra Nahmias Chief, Population and Social Statistics Section, ESCAP --------------------->> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: The current pandemic is disrupting CRVS systems all over the world, but well-functioning systems are more essential than ever. The high importance currently accorded to statistics on deaths as well as other statistics during the COVID-19 response, means that the key stakeholders in CRVS systems (civil registrars, national statistical offices and health) are under increased pressure and scrutiny. At the same time, the registration of vital events is being disrupted by lock downs and social distancing measures and civil registration authorities will need to catch up with delayed and postponed work as soon as the situation stabilizes. This webinar organised by ESCAP in collaboration with the Global CRVS Group gave civil registrars and statisticians from Asia and the Pacific a chance to share their experiences of maintaining services during this difficult period. Welcome: Gemma van Halderen (Director, Statistics Division ESCAP) Implementing the UN Legal Identity Agenda in times of COVID-19: Srdjan Mrkić (Chief, Demographic Statistics Section, UNSD) Guidance on maintaining CRVS systems during COVID-19 and other recent initiatives: Tanja Sejersen (Statistician, Statistics Division ESCAP) The Show Must Go On – CRVS and COVID-19: Jeff Montgomery (Registrar-General Civil Registration, New Zealand) Vital Statistics in Georgia: experience and way forward: Shorena Tsiklauri (Head of Population Census and Demographic Statistics Department National Statistics Office of Georgia) Discussion and sharing of experiences from the region ---------------------- >> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: Webinar series Date: 16,18,23,25,30 June, 2020; Time: 7am -8am(EDT) Webinar No. 1 (Anglophone 16 June, Francophone 18 June) International standards, methodological framework for civil registration and vital statistics and the UN Legal Identity Agenda Webinar No. 2 (Anglophone 23 June, Francophone 25 June) Introducing UN LIA survey on the COVID-19 impact on civil registration operations, sharing country experiences on the impact of COVID 19 on CRVS system and planning for the future-Reports from Countries Webinar No. 3 (30 June) Experience sharing from other region: New Zealand and Malaysia CRVS Business Continuity Strategies During the COVID-19 Crisis

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Description: About the session Timely and reliable subnational population data, disaggregated by age and sex, is more crucial than ever before in the current pandemic. Countries in Asia and the Pacific have notable differences in age and sex population breakdowns, with even greater variability at the subnational level. Policy-makers at both the national and local levels need to know this information in order to assess vulnerability to COVID19, evaluate immediate needs and to take into account the population characteristics in designing effective social and economic mitigation policy responses. While many factors can affect COVID19, timely and reliable data can be difficult to obtain. Subnational population estimates disaggregated by age and sex are usually available on a regular basis in countries with high statistical capacity, and extensive mapping capacity exists to facilitate geospatial analysis. But where civil registration and vital statistics systems are weak and surveys are irregular, postcensal subational population estimates may not always be available and mapping resources and expertise may be lacking or of poor quality. To fill this gap, WorldPop develops methods to exploit and integrate the growing range of geospatial data on human populations, their demographics and factors related to population distributions. Many different sources of data are integrated using flexible and peer-reviewed statistical methods to produce open, fully-documented and consistent subnational maps of population distributions. The data can be downloaded in TIF files for use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. This enables the NSO to integrate the population data with other data of relevance to policy makers such as location of services (e.g. hospitals), location of risk spots (e.g. aged care facilities) and logistical information (e.g. transport systems). Different GIS software exists to facilitate geospatial analysis. ArcGIS is a widely used technology available from Esri Inc. There are different programs available today, including specific resources for COVID that are made freely available. This includes resources Esri has made available through the COVID-19 GIS Hub site that communities and health organizations can use to inform their response. Additionally, Esri works with resource constrained countries and provides support, training and tools on GIS for these countries. With these tools, users can both analyze and visually present data to make information easily available to policy-makers.  The webinar was the first in the “Stats Café” series and discussed how to access and use subnational population estimates in Asia and the Pacific. It begins with a presentation on why subnational population statistics are important for planning for the COVID-19 response. It is then followed by two practical presentations: one on how to access disaggregated subnational population statistics, in this case those prepared by WorldPop and one on how to use GIS products to analyze this data, presented by Esri. This is followed by a discussion on how to best meet the needs of users and producers of subnational population estimates. This webinar is based on an ESCAP Statistics Division “Stats Brief” on Broken down by age and sex: Why reliable and timely population statistics are more important than ever. Chair: Gemma Van Halderen, Director, Statistics Division, UNESCAP Panelists: Petra Nahmias, Chief, Population and Social Statistics Section, UNESCAP Alessandro Sorichetta, Associate Professor, WorldPop Project, University of Southampton Maksym Bondarenko, Head of WorldPop Spatial Data Infrastructure, WorldPop Project, University of Southampton Linda Peters, Global Business Development Manager for Official Statistics, Esri Additional resources include: R Scripts Random Forests population modelling scripts: https://github.com/wpgp/wpgpRFPMS/blob/master/docs/GettingStarted.md wpRFPMS is a modelling R script utilizing Random Forests to inform a dasymetric redistribution of census-based population count data: https://www.worldpop.org/wprfpms Relevant publications Stevens et al., 2015. Disaggregating Census Data for Population Mapping Using Random Forests with Remotely-Sensed and Ancillary Data. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0107042. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107042 Sorichetta, A. et al. High-resolution gridded population datasets for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010, 2015, and 2020. Sci. Data 2:150045 doi: 10.1038/sdata.2015.45 (2015). https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201545 --------------------- >> See others Asia-Pacific Stats Café series

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Description: Webinars on COVID-19 impact on civil registration and vital statistics are organized in order to address (a) international standards for civil registration and vital statistics and their implementation in countries/areas; (b) impact on the operations and maintenance of civil registration and production of vital statistics in the time of COVID-19 pandemic; (c) short- and long-term consequences on registration of vital events due to the pandemic, and (d) beyond COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring universal civil registration of all vital events and production of comprehensive, reliable and regular vital statistics. The format of the set of webinars: three 40-minute sessions, spread over a week, with participation of civil registrars and statisticians from ten countries/areas, for a total of twenty participants at sub-regional level. Sessions consist of initial presentation, not extending beyond twenty minutes, followed by discussion and question and answer time.

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Description: World Population Prospects (WPP), the United Nations population estimates and projections prepared by DESA’s Population Division since 1951, form a comprehensive set of demographic data to assess population trends at the global, regional and national levels. Widely considered to be the world’s most authoritative dataset on population levels, trends and characteristics, WPP is used for calculating one-third of the indicators used to track progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Starting in 2021, WPP will estimate and project the population by single age for each year (“1x1”), replacing the current “5x5” approach. In order to achieve this objective, the Population Division is organizing an online expert group meeting on “Methods for the World Population Prospects 2021 and beyond” from 6 and 8 April 2020. The purpose of the meeting is to bring together experts to discuss and share experiences in the use of methods to develop robust annual time series of various demographic indicators (child, adult and old-age mortality, fertility, migration), incorporate uncertainty in population estimates, produce models to derive mortality and fertility age patterns, and reconcile the various demographic components of change to reconstruct coherent populations by age, period and cohort from 1950 to 2020.

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Description: Civil registration (CR) is the recording of vital events in a person’s life (e.g., birth, death) and is a fundamental function of the national government. Birth registration establishes an individual’s legal identity at birth. Having a legal identity, name, nationality, proof of age, and the related are important human rights and enables individuals to exercise their rights (e.g., to vote) and enjoy various government, social, and private services. Vital statistics (VS) are statistics on these vital events and of the persons concerned. The availability of reliable and up-to-date VS depends on the level of development of CR. Having an effective CRVS system is critical for planning and monitoring programs across several sectors. Yet, over 110 low- and middle-income countries have deficient CRVS systems. This course provides practical tools and approaches to achieving 21st century state-of-the-art CRVS systems that are linked to identity management systems and tailored to local contexts. Completion of Modules 1-3 (Basic Level in the self-paced format https://olc.worldbank.org/content/civil-registration-and-vital-statistics-systems-self-paced) is a pre-requisite for the Facilitated format. The duration of the course is 6 weeks. Learners will receive an Advanced Level Certificate after successfully completing Module 5 (birth registration & adoption), Module 6 (death registration), plus three additional modules of the learner’s choice (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13).

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: (Newsletter: CRVS Insight February (2) 2020) The Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems, the United Nations Population Fund, and Open Data Watch are co-organizing a global conference on Connecting Vital Events Registration and Gender Equality (ConVERGE). Bringing together policy and technical experts, government representatives, academics, youth, and donor organizations, this two day event aims to move beyond discussions on the importance of CRVS systems for women and children, and towards securing commitment to find solutions and take action. The objective is to foster the link between two agendas critical for the achievement of the SDGs, namely Vital Events Registration and Gender Equality. The event will take place on the 25th and 26th of February at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Ottawa, Canada. It will also be webcasted live in English and French, allowing online participants to engage directly in the conference in Q&A sessions. You can go to the events page for more detail and an up-to-date program.

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Description: (Newsletter: CRVS Insight November 2019) The second CR8 meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF-ROSA), and hosted by the Department of National Registration of the Government of Maldives, from 26 to 28 November 2019 in Maldives. In 2018, professionals active in civil registration in South Asia held the first meeting of the Civil Registration Professionals of South Asia (CR8). The second meeting in November 2019 focused on: Areas of common concern to the civil registrars; Sharing of innovative practices; and, Discussions of the mid-term questionnaire and mid-term review of the implementation of the Regional Action Framework for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The meeting specifically included half-day discussions on the legislative framework for CRVS, marriage registration, and the use of information and communication technology in civil registration. Participants also benefited from a site visit exploring the registration processes in the Maldives. Resources for the second CR8 meeting can be found here.

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Description: The meeting will be jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF-ROSA), and hosted by the Department of National Registration of the Government of Maldives, from 26 to 28 November 2019 in Maldives. In 2018, professionals active in civil registration in South Asia held the first meeting of the South Asia Civil Registration Network (CR8). The second meeting in November 2019 will focus on: areas of common concern to the civil registrars;  sharing of innovative practices; and, discussions on the mid-term review of the implementation of the Regional Action Framework for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The meeting will specifically include half day discussions on the legislative framework for CRVS, marriage registration, and the use of information and communication technology in civil registration. There will also be a site visit to explore registration processes in the Maldives.   >>>Link to meeting website.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: The Fifth Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration (COM5) will take place from 14 to 18 October 2019 in Lusaka, Zambia. The conference will have two segments: Expert Meeting (14-16 October 2019) and Ministerial Meeting (17-18 October 2019). The conference is being organized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Government of the Zambia. The Conference is also supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Health Organization (WHO), Plan International, the Africa Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD) and other partners. The Conference will be attended by Ministers responsible for Civil Registration, National Identity Registration, Health, ICT and E-Governance.  It will also be attended by Heads of Civil Registration Offices, Heads of National Identity Registrations and Heads of National Statistics Offices, representatives of regional and international organizations including the UN agencies, and representatives of selected Non-Governmental Organizations.

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Description: Civil registration (CR) is the recording of vital events in a person’s life (e.g., birth, death) and is a fundamental function of the national government. Birth registration establishes an individual’s legal identity at birth. Having a legal identity, name, nationality, proof of age, and the related are important human rights and enables individuals to exercise their rights (e.g., to vote) and enjoy various government, social, and private services. Vital statistics (VS) are statistics on these vital events and of the persons concerned. The availability of reliable and up-to-date VS depends on the level of development of CR. Having an effective CRVS system is critical for planning and monitoring programs across several sectors. Yet, over 110 low- and middle-income countries have deficient CRVS systems. This course provides practical tools and approaches to achieving 21st century state-of-the-art CRVS systems that are linked to identity management systems and tailored to local contexts. Completion of Modules 1-3 (Basic Level in the self-paced format https://olc.worldbank.org/content/civil-registration-and-vital-statistics-systems-self-paced) is a pre-requisite for the Facilitated format. The duration of the course is 6 weeks. Learners will receive an Advanced Level Certificate after successfully completing Module 5 (birth registration & adoption), Module 6 (death registration), plus three additional modules of the learner’s choice (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13).

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: The European Free Trade Association, Statistics Norway and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) are holding a workshop to improve the capacity of national CRVS systems in the production and dissemination of vital statistics. The workshop specifically supports the implementation of Goal 3 the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific which stipulates that accurate, complete and timely vital statistics (including on causes of death) are produced based on registration records and are disseminated. The workshop will run between 7 and 11 October 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The workshop will strengthen countries’ capacity of national statistical systems to produce, disseminate and communicate vital statistics, based on civil registration records and other data sources, and thus support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The key objectives are:  Countries to develop or improve vital statistics publications Improved collaboration between agencies working on CRVS and data/statistics Improved knowledge among experts on CRVS and on user friendly data dissemination >>> Link to meeting website.

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Description: From 23 to 24 September ESCAP and UNFPA organized the Expert Group Meeting on Monitoring implementation of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. This meeting followed the Midterm Review of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development held in November 2018, during which Member States recommended that ESCAP and UNFPA develop a regional monitoring framework to monitor implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development. This framework is being developed in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting provided an opportunity for experts from Governments, civil society, and academia to contribute to the draft monitoring framework which will be considered at the 76th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in May 2020. Backgroud document • Report of the Midterm Review of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (ESCAP/APPC/2018/5) • Suggested indicator framework for monitoring progress towards the implementation of the Asia and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (ESCAP/APPC/2018/INF/1) • Report of the Sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference • Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population Development[Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]

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Description: At the beginning of the Decade, in 2015, all countries in Asia and the Pacific were invited to submit baseline reports and articulate goals corresponding with the Regional Action Framework. Thirty-nine countries submitted baseline reports analyzing the status of their CRVS systems, setting targets, highlighting progress made so far, as well as emphasizing areas necessitating support and resources to be achieved. To monitor progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework, a midterm review of the Decade will be held during the 2019 calendar year. The midterm review will form the basis for deliberations at the second Ministerial Conference to be held during the third quarter of 2020. To facilitate national reporting, ESCAP will send a questionnaire to all countries in Asia and the Pacific and develop the aggregated midterm report from the responses. At the fourth meeting of the Regional Steering Group in November 2018, members asked development partners to support preparations for the midterm review with a specific focus on facilitating and providing technical assistance for country assessments of CRVS systems. For this reason, ESCAP is organizing a workshop on 20 September 2019 to support selected countries in completing their CRVS self-assessment and their submission of midterm questionnaire. At the fourth meeting of the Regional Steering Group in November 2018, members asked development partners to support preparations for the midterm review with a specific focus on facilitating and providing technical assistance for country assessments of CRVS systems. For this reason, ESCAP organised the workshop on the midterm reporting of the Asia-Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade, 2015-2024 to support selected countries in completing their CRVS self-assessment and their submission of midterm questionnaire.   >>>Link to meeting website.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: The Regional Steering Group is responsible for providing regional oversight and guidance for the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, as well as acting as the custodian of the Asia and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015 - 2024). Comprising 22 representatives from member states, along with 8 development partners, the 30 members of the RSG represent a balance of geography and sectors including civil registration, statistics, health and planning, and was endorsed by the ESCAP Commission at its seventy-first session in May 2015. The group has met annually since its establishment in 2015 and will do so for a fifth time between 17 - 19 September 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. The Fifth Meeting will address, among other topics, the progress of country reports on the Midterm Questionnaire, ESCAP and development partner support for ensuring high quality responses, the continued preparatory work for the Ministerial Conference in 2020 (both the Main and Side Events), as well as the working arrangements of the RSG.   >>> Link to meeting website.

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Description: Luego de tres días de ardua actividad concluyó el pasado 11 de septiembre en Santiago de Chile con la entrega de la Declaración de Santiago y excelentes resultados el XVI Encuentro CLARCIEV. Dos de los puntos centrales de la reunión se presentaron por parte de la Secretaría Ejecutiva CLARCIEV quien expuso el informe general al consejo y las mesas técnicas quienes expusieron los avances liderados por Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, México, Panamá y Colombia. Los Paneles tratados durante los tres días del encuentro fueron: 1. Ecosistemas de identidad civil para cerrar brechas en los servicios a los ciudadanos. 2. Identidad Digital y Carpetas Digitales Ciudadanas, el rol de los registros civiles y oficinas de identificación. 3. El rol de América Latina y el Caribe para impulsar una Buena Identificación “Good ID”. 4. Estándares internacionales abiertos en los sistemas de registro civil e identificación. 5. Identificación, registro y determinación de la condición de refugiado en el contexto de movimientos mixtos a gran escala: el rol de las oficinas de registro civil. 6. Apatridia, Inscripción Tardía de Nacimientos y Otorgamiento de Documentos de Identidad. 7. Fraude relacionado con la identidad: uso de la biometría y autenticación de identidad en contextos de alta movilidad humana. 8. Normas internas sobre protección de datos y sus efectos en contextos de intercambio de datos con otros países.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: The Brisbane Accord Group (BAG) in collaboration with the Public Health division of the Pacific Community (SPC) is organising a regional workshop on Legal Identity and Identity Security. The workshop aims to review progress and to build momentum towards the achievement of target 16.9 of the global sustainable development agenda (which commits states to achieving universal legal identification), and to address critical issues surrounding the establishment of robust civil registration systems including reviewing the role of Health information systems. This workshop is jointly organised by the Statistics and Public Health Division of the Pacific Community, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the World Health Organisation, the Pacific Civil Registrars Network and the Pacific Health Information Network, and is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The workshop brings together Registrar Generals and Health information officials from Pacific Island countries and Territories (PICTs). The workshop is organised in support of commitments made PICTs towards strengthening of their administrative data collection systems, for birth, death and cause of death data, as outlined in the Pacific Vital Statistics Action Plan (PVSAP) and the Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (TYPSS). The workshop further aligns to commitments made by PICTs towards the Asia and Pacific decade for civil registration and vital statistics (2012-2024) and the corresponding regional Action Framework.

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Description: United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) in cooperation with the Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems, housed at the International Development Research Centre of Canada, is organizing an Expert Group Meeting on the Handbook on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems: Communication for Development. The meeting will take place in New York, from 29 to 31 May 2019 and will be conducted in English. The main objective of the meeting is to review the draft of the revised Handbook; to provide guidance on its content and structure with a view to ensuring that it provides countries with a reference document on the communication aspects of Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems.

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Description: Civil registration (CR) is the recording of vital events in a person’s life (e.g., birth, death) and is a fundamental function of the national government. Birth registration establishes an individual’s legal identity at birth. Having a legal identity, name, nationality, proof of age, and the related are important human rights and enables individuals to exercise their rights (e.g., to vote) and enjoy various government, social, and private services. Vital statistics (VS) are statistics on these vital events and of the persons concerned. The availability of reliable and up-to-date VS depends on the level of development of CR. Having an effective CRVS system is critical for planning and monitoring programs across several sectors. Yet, over 110 low- and middle-income countries have deficient CRVS systems. This course provides practical tools and approaches to achieving 21st century state-of-the-art CRVS systems that are linked to identity management systems and tailored to local contexts. Completion of Modules 1-3 (Basic Level in the self-paced format https://olc.worldbank.org/content/civil-registration-and-vital-statistics-systems-self-paced) is a pre-requisite for the Facilitated format. The duration of the course is 6 weeks. Learners will receive an Advanced Level Certificate after successfully completing Module 5 (birth registration & adoption), Module 6 (death registration), plus three additional modules of the learner’s choice (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13).

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: A Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) of 3 October 1946. In its resolution 49/128 of 19 December 1994, the General Assembly decided that the Commission should be renamed the Commission on Population and Development. In the same resolution, the Assembly decided that it, the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism that would play the primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, would monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels and advise the Council thereon.

Target Audience: The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives should have a relevant background in population and development.

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Description: In advance of the 6th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), the Asia-Pacific People's Forum, with the theme of 'Harnessing the Power of Peoples’ Movements for a Fairer, Just and Equitable Asia Pacific', brought together relevant stakeholders to review civil society organization (CSO) contributions to regional CRVS development, share lessons learned from assisting countries in meeting the targets for both the 2030 Agenda and the CRVS Regional Action Framework, and prioritize areas for continued engagement. In support of these activities, the CRVS team in ESCAP's Stats Division co-hosted a side event with World Vision entitled, "Working together to 'Get Every One in the Picture' - CSO engagement for the shared vision on civil registration and vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific". The agenda and presentations are now available for review.

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Description: The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will hold a briefing on the substantive reports of the Secretary-General that have been prepared for the fifty-second session of the Commission. The meeting will be chaired by His Excellency Mr. E. Courtenay Rattray (Jamaica), Chair-designate of the fifty-second session. All interested members of delegations, representatives of non-governmental organizations and Secretariat staff are invited to attend.

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