(Newsletter August 2023)

On the 23 of August, UNICEF Malaysia launched their report For Every Child an Identity. The launch event was attended by many government agencies, including the National Registration Department. This report set out to understand the gaps and challenges related to the birth registration of children affected by migration in Malaysia, with a focus on Peninsular Malaysia. It investigates the links between birth registration and children’s access to legal identity, rights and protection, identifies the groups affected and explores both demand- and supply-side barriers. The report identified that the largest barriers to registration were structural or logistical, and provides recommendations in order to make registration more accessible.

The report is structured to be of operational use to the Malaysian government, UNICEF, and partners at local, national and international levels and presents valuable new data that contributes to the evidence base about birth registration for migrant and refugee children under the age of five years in Malaysia.

The report, executive summary, policy paper, and desk review are available here.