The universal birth registration campaign has been launched here by the Plan Pakistan, an international community development organisation focussed on child rights without religious, political and government affiliation. It works in more than 40 countries to popularise birth registration. Speaking to delegates of campaign here on Thursday, country director Dr Purnima Chattopadhayay-Dutt said that over 48 million children go unregistered every year internationally and without birth registration children are far more likely to grow up without access to education, health care, civil rights protection.

National Commission on Child Welfare director Hassan Mangi, Nadra chairman Brigadier Saleem A. Moeen (Retd), chief of Unicef planning and monitoring section Munir A. Safieldin and Plan Pakistan representative Siddique Khan also addressed the launching ceremony.

The main objective of the campaign is to create awareness in general public, officials and public representatives about the birth registration. The target is to enhance the ratio to 70 percent.

Dr Purnima Chattopadhayay-Dutt called for urgent actions regarding low rates of birth registration in Pakistan. The average birth registration rate is only 30 percent.

She said the government must give top priority to birth registration and parents attention is also required in this regard.

She said Pakistan is also a signatory to Convention on Child Rights (CRC) that stated that all children must be registered at birth.

Siddique Khan said through awareness and advocacy campaigns, child sensitive planning, institutional supports and monitoring and evaluation, the Plan Pakistan will try to achieve goals of the campaigns.

He said parents can play major role regarding birth registration of their children.

National Commission on Child Welfare director Hassan Mangi said that due to non-availability of correct data regarding birth registration many projects regarding children can not achieve their results.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005