The Ministry of Justice, the Secretary of State for Social Communication (SECOMS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) organized a seminar on birth registration at the Vila Hotel in Dili on April 30.

The representative of SECOMS, the Director of the Community Radio Center (CRC), Abel da Conceição, said that this seminar was aimed at finding ways to improve the program and increase access to registration among the population.

“There are still obstacles that the community faces,” said Abel da Conceição, adding that “community radio stations can help local authorities, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health to publicize the need for registration of children”.

“Our rural population can gain access to and understand the importance of registering children. We believe that, after this program, next year, registration will increase”, said the Director of CRC.

According to the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Vitor Neto, “registration and birth certificates are a child’s right”, adding that “after ratification in 2003 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Ministry of Justice collaborated in 2004 with UNICEF for the first campaign to register births in all municipalities”.

Vitor Neto also reiterated that “the Government of Timor-Leste is committed to this program and will continue to collaborate with UNICEF and other organizations such as Childfund, WorldVision and the European Union”.

UNICEF representative in East Timor, Scoot Whoolery, explained that Timor-Leste’s birth certificate is a clear proof of identity and is also one of the basic rights of the child.

ScooT Whoolery also noted that “children who are not registered at birth are in danger because they may be forgotten by society and children have the right to an official identity” and stressed that “interministerial commitment and collaboration are needed to create a fast and efficient registration system”, stating that “UNICEF is available to collaborate with relevant ministries to ensure that all children are registered in order to obtain the RDTL birth certificate”, said Deputy Scoot Whooler.

Present at the seminar were representatives from the Ministry of State Administration, the Ministry of Health, community radios from the municipalities, suco chiefs and midwives from the municipalities of Bobonaro and Liquiçá.