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Millions of children around the world are being denied their basic human right to be registered and accounted for by governments, says child rights organisation Plan International.
One of the oldest and largest children’s global development organisations, Plan is marking its 75 years with a global call for action to register every single child.
Every year about 51 million newborns worldwide go unregistered, mostly in the developing countries. Without birth registration millions of children remain invisible to authorities and risk being denied rights to education and health care. They are also more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
“It is a matter of concern that millions of children around the world are going unregistered. Birth registration is inherently liked to a number of other rights and freedoms. If you are invisible, you are certainly more vulnerable,” said Nigel Chapman, CEO, Plan International.
The organisation, which works with more than 56 million children in 50 countries, is marking its 75th anniversary milestone with a number of global events to draw attention to the issue of universal birth registration, championed by its global campaign Count Every Child.
One of these will be a bid for the world’s biggest children’s birthday party when Plan offices and supporters all over the world come together physically and virtually to highlight the organisation’s 75 years of commitment to child rights.
To show support, members of the public are able to send a specially designed birthday card to a friend through a free online e-card service. There are hundreds of cards available, all of which have been designed by children worldwide. Importantly, those that send cards will be asked to sign up to a petition to be presented to the UN Secretary General urging governments and authorities to implement universal birth registration.
Whilst children all over the world need a birth certificate, one of the most marginalised groups without any formal identity is girls. Girls in the developing world are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, be forced into an early marriage, be subject to violence or intimidation, be trafficked, sold or coerced into the sex trade, or become infected with HIV. Access to a birth certificate would help protect girls.
Worldwide events being held to mark Plan’s 75th anniversary range from a concert in Haiti to girls’ football match in Bangladesh, planting of 75,000 trees in Zimbabwe, sports day in Sudan, party in Hamburg’s Lion King Theatre and VIP visits.
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Support Plan International’s work by visiting plan-international.org
Editor’s notes:
- History of Plan International: The global organisation, which works with more than 56 million children in 50 developing countries, has been promoting child rights and lifting millions of children out of poverty since it was founded in 1937. Plan was founded by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge to care for children affected by the Spanish Civil War. Today, the charity helps improve the lives of children all over the world across key child poverty issues of education, gender, health, water and sanitation, protection, economic security emergencies and sexual health, including HIV.
- Each year around 51 million of the world’s newborn are not registered, primarily in developing countries. In South Asia alone, 23 million under-fives are not registered, while the sub-Saharan Africa has the highest percentage (66%) of unregistered under-fives.
- In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa only a third of all children under the age of five are registered at birth. In some countries like Bangladesh, Liberia and Ethiopia the birth registration figure for under-fives stands at ten per cent or less.
- Plan has been leading a global campaign for universal birth registration since 2005 and has so far facilitated registration of more than 40 million people- mostly children, in 32 countries. The organisation’s advocacy work has led to improved laws in 10 countries making 153 million children eligible for free birth certificates.
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