Africa, Asia and Eastern Mediterranean 2012 and 2013

United Nations
Population Fund
(UNFPA)
United Nations
High Commissioner
for Refugees
(UNHCR)
UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every
woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. In
addition to carrying out programmes on sexual and reproductive health and
gender aspects, UNFPA works on major population issues (ageing, migration...)
and their interrelations with development processes. The availability of
population statistics is essential in that perspective and UNFPA activities can
include at country level the strengthening of statistical systems in order to make
it possible to monitor demographic trends and to integrate population dynamics
into development planning. As an important component of population statistics,
vital statistics are therefore of high interest to UNFPA. They also provide
stakeholders with the best source of information on maternal mortality or
prenatal sex selection that are important areas of work for UNFPA.
UNFPA is interested in contributing to the Regional Strategic Plan, particularly
through supporting activities at regional level, where technical expertise in
statistics and demography is available. Financial resources for activities at
country level (assessment...) can also possibly be mobilized from the budget of
UNFPA Country Programmes, providing these activities are aligned with the
priority areas of these Programmes.
UNHCR has a Global Strategic Priority for 2012-13 of securing birth
registration, profiling and individual documentation based on registration for
persons of concern which include 1) Refugees and Asylum-seekers, 2) Internally
Displaced Persons, 3) Stateless persons. UNHCR has been identified as the body
to which a person claiming the benefit of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction
of Statelessness may apply for the examination of his or her claim and for
assistance in presenting it to the appropriate authority. As part of its Mandate to
prevent statelessness, UNHCR works with UNICEF, UNFPA and other
partners to ensure that all persons of concern are registered at birth.
A number of UNHCR’s Country Offices are already working, in particular, on
birth registration and, in consultation with the Regional Coordinator’s Office,
Thailand and the Bureau for the Asia-Pacific, may be able to support country
assessments, plans or implementation. UNHCR has experience of providing
technical assistance to States in respect of their nationality and birth registration
laws, as has extensive operational experience in respect of registration of the
populations of concern. UNHCR, thus, would like to participate in the Drafting
and Organizing Committees for the High Level Meeting in December, and
would like the opportunity for Country Offices to be involved in the country
assessments, planning and implementation. UNHCR may also be able to
participate in the Advocacy and Communications committee.
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