“A life that begins in ignorance, with parents who lack civil registration status and do not prioritise birth registration, leads to a lack of opportunities and access to basic rights such as education and healthcare. When they passed away, it is tragic that they must leave this world without an identity. This is the story we want to share with you. If you do not want the story to end this way, please emphasise the importance of civil registration. It is essential for everyone and includes birth registration, marriage registration, address changes, death registration, and even name changes. From the role play we presented, you saw how a child suffered because he and his family lacked legal status. But is it solely his fault? No… The real issue lies in the gaps, lack of awareness and mismanagement of these registration systems. This is where civil society organisations (CSOs) need to step up, assist and address these gaps. This is our call to action for all relevant stakeholders to get involved.”
This statement comes from six youth representatives from five countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, and the Philippines, who had the opportunity to participate in the Children and Youth in the Picture: Young People’s Forum for the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific*. They presented this statement to international civil society representatives attending the conference.
Zoey, also know as Tihusso, 18, a youth representative from World Vision Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Project and the President of World Vision Thailand’s Child and Youth Council, shared his experience in participating in this international event:
“It was a great opportunity for me to learn and deepen my understanding of various civil registration documents. I became very aware that these documents, whether birth certificates, marriage certificates, or death certificates, are crucial. Most importantly, I gained a broader perspective on how the lack of these documents and legal status can impact people’s lives. I also learned that at the international level, both governments and international civil society organisations are working to mobilise policy changes to ensure that children, youth, and stateless people in various countries can access their basic rights.”
As a child without civil registration, Zoey found out that participating in this activity was very meaningful. It allowed him to share various impacts of growing up under the limitations of being a stateless child and to inspire thoughts of driving change for many other children in Thailand who still lack legal status.
“I am a child born in Myanmar. My parents and I reside in Thailand without registration status. Although I have access to education, there are other limitations, such as receiving healthcare and the right to travel outside my residence area. Currently, I have managed to obtain an ID card that starts with the number 0, indicating that I am a person without civil registration, nationality, or Thai citizenship. I am temporarily permitted to reside in Thailand. Although I do not have Thai citizenship, this ID card at least allows me to pursue higher education and travel outside my residence area, among other things. As President of World Vision Thailand’s Children and Youth Council, besides working to reduce drug problems among children and youth, I also aim to support children, youth, and families in my hometown of Sangkhla Buri and in World Vision Thailand’s implementing areas. I will raise the awareness of birth registration, which is the first key to ensuring that children can access the basic rights they deserve and, at the very least, that children and youth have legal status.”
Because every child’s voice matters, the statements from the youth participating in this event will be included in the progress review of the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific, which will be held in June 2025. This initiative aims to mobilise policy changes in civil registration and vital statistics systems, benefiting the quality of life for over 169,000 children and youth in Thailand (as of September 2024, Ministry of Interior) and more than 4.2 million worldwide (UNHCR) who remain stateless.
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* Children and Youth in the Picture: Young People’s Forum for the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific was organised by Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia), Global Health Advocacy Incubator, PLAN International, Vital Strategies and World Vision.
