Republic of Mauritius- Second African Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day commemorated in Mauritius

GIS – 09 August, 2019: The second edition of the African Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day was marked, yesterday, by the launching of a booklet and the unveiling of a Commemorative Shield and a Cover, at the Emmanuel Anquetil Building, Port Louis.  The events were organised by the Civil Status Division.  The 2019 CRVS Day theme is Birth Certificate for All: Fundamental for protecting Human Rights and Promoting Inclusion.

The Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon, the Registrar of the Civil Status Division, Mr William Mario Ayelou, and other personalities were present.

In his address, Mr Boissézon emphasised the importance of civil registration which is an important aspect of human life.  The civil registration system, he pointed out, plays an important role in facilitating the realisation of many fundamental human rights recognised in major International Declarations and Conventions.

The Minister indicated that the births of nearly 230 million children under the age of five worldwide have never been officially recorded.  Mauritius has one of the best Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System and the percentage of tardy declaration over annual birth registered is only 1%, he added. On this score, he said, Mauritius is a model to be replicated across the African continent as regards its civil registration service.

In addition, Mr Boissézon stated that a lack of continuous supply of reliable data on vital events from a well-functioning and universal civil registration system, hampers the proper monitoring and measurements of regional and global development targets. The civil registry is thus an important tool, he said, to provide a person with essential legal documents required to secure basic human rights, and also prevents violations of child rights and provides access to basic social services. The Minister moreover reiterated Government’s commitment to modernise such vital services and emphasised the importance to keep pace with latest technology.

For his part, Mr Ayelou, announced that the Division will soon embark on a national campaign to encourage those who have not yet been declared to come forward and register themselves at the Civil Status Division so that they can fully benefit from the facilities of being a Mauritian citizenship. He recalled that the Division comprises 33 Civil Status Offices including two in Rodrigues and one in Agalega to offer its services to the Republic of Mauritius.

African CRVS Day

African CRVS day was celebrated for the first time on the 10 August 2018 to increase public awareness on the importance of making everyone visible in Africa through a well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics system covering the entire population and all vital events occurring in a country.