Researchers and practitioners focused on civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) are invited to submit abstracts for the 2026 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Research Forum, set to take place in Bangkok from 30 March to 1 April 2026. This hybrid event aims to accelerate progress towards universal birth registration and death recording by 2030, offering a unique platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and collaborative innovation.

Co-organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the forum is a direct response to the recent recommitment by Ministers across Asia and the Pacific to strengthen CRVS systems.

The three-day forum will spotlight innovative methods and approaches crucial for achieving comprehensive registration, documentation for all, and the production of robust vital statistics derived from civil registration records. Participants will have the opportunity to present their research, engage in interactive sessions, and learn from successful country-level initiatives that are making tangible impacts on individuals and communities.

The forum encourages engagement from CRVS practitioners across National Statistics Offices, Ministries of Health, Civil Registration/National Identity Authorities, as well as from international organizations, academic institutions, private sector entities, and civil society.

This upcoming event builds on the success of ESCAP's CRVS Research Forum in 2023, which brought together over 30 speakers from 15 countries, presented 24 research papers, and attracted nearly 400 registered participants. That forum highlighted the diverse and impactful initiatives underway to foster more inclusive and effective CRVS systems across the region.

The call for abstracts for the 2026 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Research Forum is now open. Interested researchers and practitioners are encouraged to visit the CRVS Research Forum webpage for submission guidelines. Abstract submissions close Friday 15 August 2025.