Newsletter May 2024

In the age of digital transformation, the integration of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) serves as a foundation for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

When a civil registration database and a national ID database are not linked, discrepancy in the data recorded can leave individuals with little or no access to critical public and private services, and lead to inaccurate allocation or incorrect denial of public assistance, misallocation of funds, corruption, and incomplete data for evidence-informed policymaking.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently called together experts and leaders from both CRVS and DPI communities of practice, to discuss the importance of ensuring CRVS systems function as a foundational layer of DPI and the merits of improving CRVS systems by adopting a DPI approach, resulting in three key takeaways:

1. Embrace the principles of universality and interoperability
2. Accelerate DPI approach-led digitalization with dedicated funding 
3. Focus on people and their rights  

For more information, please see the full story here.