Lire l'appel international en Français - Sign the call to action

We the undersigned,

Noting that

• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (1948) states that everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law (art. 6), that men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution (art. 16), that all children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. (art. 25);
• the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (ICCPR, 1966), affirms that the registration of birth is a legally enforceable obligation for Member States (art. 24 « Every child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have a name. Every child has the right to acquire a nationality. »);
• the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1976) recognizes that States Parties shall ensure the equality of men and women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. (art. 1) and that States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children. (art. 9);
• the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC, 1989) affirms that the child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality. States Parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field. (art. 7);
  

Reminding that

• the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990) underlines the importance and responsibility of the State towards birth registration;
• the European Commission and UNICEF have declared that the first and most fundamental right of a child is a right to a name and legal identity (July 2012);
• the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (May 2013) recommends that States should provide free and universal legal identity, such as birth registration (Goal 10a);
  

• the serious consequences of the lack of birth registration, since they will have no legal status and no access to programs and services when growing up;
  
• that it is hard or even impossible for women to register the birth of their child in many parts of the world;

• each woman irrespective of her marital status can be entitled to assert her right to declare the birth of her child ;
• each State implements a public civil registration system, free of charge, mandatory and opened to all individuals living in the territory, irrespective of their marital status, ethnic origin, political opinions, economic status, language, place of residence;
• birth registration and issuance of birth certificate should be free of charge, birth registration process should be simplified and facilitated by all possible means of communications, through the adoption of national laws ;

• ensuring universal birth registration is essential for both the child and the nation. It must guarantee that each and every child enjoys their full right to an identity and citizenship.
• birth registration gives a child a recognized legal existence and identity. It is the sign that a child 'belongs' to a family, a community and a nation. It shows that a child has a place and a stake at all three.
• it ensures that all individuals can fully participate to the social, cultural, civil life of their country.

first signatures :

Nicole AMELINE, Présidente de la CEDAW (ONU)
Kadidja ROUISSI, Députée du parti Authenticité et modernité, Vice-présidente de la Chambre des représentants du Maroc
Fatou KINE DIOP, présidente Observatoire de la parité, Sénégal
Michèle VIANES, présidente de Regards de Femmes - France
Rachel GOGOUA, présidente de l’ONEF – Côte d’Ivoire
Françoise MORVAN, vice-présidente Association Franco-Africaine des femmes de Paris - France
Mama KOITE DOUMBIA, présidente de FEMNET – Mali, vice présidente de Genre en Action
Aicha ECH CHANNA, présidente de Association Solidarité Féminine – Maroc
Fatou KINE CAMARA, Présidente de l’Association des Juristes Sénégalaises
Aminata GUEYE SECK, Maison de justice de Tivaouane - Sénégal
Achiata DJIMAN, Association des Béninois de la région Rhône-Alpes
Dior FALL SAW, magistrate – Cour Pénale Internationale
Ramaotoulaye NDAO DIOUF, Conseillère spéciale du Présidente de la République – Sénégal
Absa WADE BGOM, Direction genre, Ministère de la femme, Sénégal
Mouhamadou Mustapha SEYE, Directeur des droits humains - Sénégal
Fatou BINTOU THIOUNE, CLVF - Sénégal
Justine LAISON, CONAFE - Sénégal
Lydie SANKA KABOU, AJS –Sénégal
Roklaya GAYE , RADI - Sénégal

Sign the call to action