The Punjab Government has received the Digital Birth Registration (DBR) system from Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF.
Punjab’s local government is preparing to take over the Digital Birth Registration project and scale it across the province following its successful launch and implementation in five test districts.
The project was transferred at an event in Lahore attended by Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF executives, as well as Punjab government authorities.
The Digital Birth Registration system, which was created in 2016 with the goal of birth registration for children under the age of 17, with a special focus on children under the age of 5, has already helped identify the identities of approximately 1.8 million children across Pakistan since its inception.
The DBR project ensures that every child receives their fundamental right to identification, resulting in improved access to education, healthcare, and basic human rights.
UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan have collaborated to create simple, convenient, and real-time mechanisms that deliver birth registration to parents’ doorsteps in remote and difficult-to-reach locations, lowering the significant opportunity cost and time suffered by parents.
This successful public-private partnership approach has moulded regional technological collaboration and best-practice sharing to achieve universal birth registration for children across South Asia.
Commenting on the development, Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan, said, “Millions of children in Pakistan remain unaccounted for and without an identity despite birth registration being the fundamental right of every child. Our collaborative initiative Digital Birth Registration has been instrumental in giving unnamed children an identity, thus bringing Pakistan a step closer towards socio-economic empowerment and the eradication of social inequalities.”
“After successfully handing over the project to the Sindh Government, today, UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan are furthering this ambition by handing this flagship project to the Punjab Government to scale across the province and reach more families. Together with UNICEF, we are stretching the boundaries of inclusion while enabling the nation’s transition to digitalization in every aspect,” he added.
“Government of Punjab is striving hard to translate the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan of Digital Pakistan. Today we are advancing towards the realization of an inclusive digital society. Local Government Department Punjab, in collaboration with NADRA, has launched a web-based application to have real-time and authentic data for better planning,” said Mahmood ur Rasheed, Minister for Local Government Punjab.
“Birth Registration is the proof of legal identity of children and is our responsibility towards international commitments,” he added.
Wilbroad Nagmbi, Chief Field Office, Punjab, commented, “Birth Registration is a fundamental right of a child recognized by the convention on the right of the child (CRC). Registration of birth is the first legal binding at the national and international level to incorporate the full range of human rights.”
“In addition to contributing to a country’s civil registry, birth registration also strengthens the quality of vital statistics, straightening planning and government efficiency. Moreover, a child who remains uncounted is less likely to be included in development policies and planning for the provision of social services. Ownership of the idea of digitization by LG&CD Department Punjab through the Launch of Baldiaonline Application is highly appreciated,” he added.
“Local Government Department is focusing on Girl Childbirth Registration and due to socio-cultural constraints, registration of girl child is low in South Punjab,” said Noor ul Amin Mengal, Secretary Local Government Punjab. “LG&CD Department has formulated Birth & Death Registration Rules to facilitate the general public and enhance registration. In the future, the department plans to integrate with the health sector for scaling up birth & death registration in Punjab,” he added.
The upscaling of the DBR project will eventually help Pakistan achieve universal birth registration for children, which is a requirement of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the government’s commitment under the CRVS Regional Action Framework for Asia Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
The project will also assist Pakistan in meeting its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (16.9), notably those dealing to children.
To read our blog on Sindh Govt. received a Digital Birth Registration (DBR) system from Telenor and UNICEF, click here.