Providing children with their 'first right': new EU project to ensure birth registration in eight countries
A project that will register mandatory children born in eight countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific; ensuring that millions more people can enjoy access to healthcare, attend school and vote in elections for the first time as a result, was today announced by Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs.
Registration of birth, sometimes known as the ‘first right’ of a child, is a passport to security, protection from abuse and violence, access to education, good health, advancement and mobility for children. Without registration, children do not technically exist, do not know who their parents are and have no rights. This lack of an identity at birth goes on to affect people throughout their lives; making them unable to access to health care and nutrition services, school, marriage registration, protection from abuse and violence or to vote.
Full version of the press release: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/743
