Theme: ‘Accelerating a coordinated improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) for implementation and monitoring development in Africa: Review of progress and the way forward.’

The African Union Commission, with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Republic Islamic of Mauritania, is organizing the Fourth Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration from 7 to 8 December 2017 in Nouakchott, Mauritania. 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 Organisation (WHO), Plan International and INDEPTH Network, PARIS21 and Secretariat of Africa Symposium on Statistical Development.

The Conference, in addition to convening all African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration, will also invite the Ministers of Health as per the second Ministerial Conference resolutions. It will also be attended by Heads of Civil Registration Offices and Heads of National Statistics Offices, representatives of regional and international organizations including the UN agencies, and representatives of selected non-governmental organizations.

Objectives

The overall objective of the session is to discuss possible ways of making strategic shifts to move the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems to the next level of maturity by taking stock of the Programme achievements so far and the challenges encountered.

Specifically, the objectives will be to:

• Contextualize the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems against the backdrop of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, in line with national development plans and international human rights instruments;
• Identify key challenges in the implementation of the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems at the regional and national levels and propose solutions;
• Review the current tools and guidance provided under the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems and discuss possible corrective measures for improving programme delivery.

Expected outcomes

The fourth session is expected to result in the following:

• Improved understanding of the centrality of civil registration and vital statistics in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 and international human rights instruments;
• Agreement on what strategic direction to take to revitalize the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems through a systematic review and improved coordination, monitoring and reporting;
• Endorsement of the civil registration and vital statistics strategic plan for 2017-2021 and approval of the establishment of an African fund for the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics systems.