(Newsletter April 2023)

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) is undertaking legal reviews to support the development of more effective CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific.

On 20-21 March 2023, a workshop was held to develop a draft CRVS law for the Philippines. It followed previous discussions held between the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and GHAI.

The Department of Health and PSA agreed to jointly develop a CRVS bill incorporating the policy recommendations identified by both agencies and advocate for enactment with local civil society support.    

GHAI also participated and supported a meeting in Indonesia organized during the week of 6 March by Vital Strategies and PUSKAPA (the local NGO conducting the CRVS legal review). During the meeting, GHAI introduced the government stakeholders to the concept of the legal review.

Further, GHAI and the Vital Strategies teams, are supporting discussions on key gaps in draft amendments to the Bangladesh Births and Deaths Registration Act and Rules.

Finally, In Cambodia, H.E. Sotheavy Chan, the Chair of the Legislative Drafting Workshop Group, presented the draft law on CRVSID to the National Steering Committee on Identification on 9 March 2023. In February, the Deputy Prime Minister addressed the Congress of the Ministry of Interior and stated that the draft law is a high priority as a sign of political commitment to this draft law. The draft law must now go to the Cabinet for approval before being submitted to Parliament.