Karachi
\nLeveraging innovation in technology, Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF have handed over the Digital Birth Registration (DBR) system to the Sindh Government. After its successful launch and implementation in 3 pilot districts, the local government in Sindh is now all set to take over the Digital Birth Registration project and scale it across the province.
\nThe project transfer took place at an event in Karachi, attended by officials from Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF along with Sindh Government officials.
\nDesigned with the goal of birth registration for kids under the age of 17, with special focus on children under 5 years of age, the Digital Birth Registration system since its inception in 2016 has already helped recognize the identities of approximately 1.8 million children across Pakistan.
\nThe DBR project ensures that every child gets their basic right of identity which would lead to give them better access to education, healthcare, and basic human rights. Together, UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan have facilitated the creation of easy to access, convenient and real time mechanisms bringing birth registration to the doorstep in far flung, hard to reach area; thus, reducing the high opportunity cost and time incurred by the parents.
\nThis successful public-private partnership model has shaped regional collaboration in technology and best-practice sharing for the achievement of universal birth registration for children across South Asia.
\nCommenting on the development, Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan said, \u201cBirth registration is the fundamental right of every child and is a legal proof of their existence.
\nEvery life registered through the DBR platform takes the nation another step closer to the fulfillment of the country\u2019s development goals, and even more importantly, plays a vital role in mitigating the effects of inequalities and socio-economic disparities.
\nToday, we are advancing towards the realization of an inclusive digital society faster than ever.\u201d While speaking on the opportunity to scale the DBR system, he further added, \u201cTogether with UNICEF, we are proud to have paved the way for our provincial government to do crucial work in uplifting and empowering communities across Pakistan.\u201d
\n\u201cThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is rooted in universal rights and inclusive development and is driven by the key principle of \u201cleaving no one behind\u2026.\u201d This is also embodied in target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals which says: \u201cBy 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration\u201d.
\nA birth registration certificate, as a legal document with proof of age, helps to prevent violations of the rights of the child, including such phenomena as child labour, the recruitment and use of child soldier, early marriage, trafficking, and statelessness.
\nBirth registration is important for girl child for protection from the early marriage and the enforcement of laws that set a minimum age for marriage.\u201d Commented Clara Dube, Chief Field Office Sindh.
\nPresent at the ceremony, Zainab Hussain Siddiqui, VP Sustainability and Partnerships at Telenor Group said, \u201cDigital Birth Registration started out as an idea of how we could use technology to give children their fundamental right to an identity.
\nToday the project is set to take on a larger scale, helping more children access their right to a future. This progress has been possible thanks to strong collaboration with our global partner UNICEF and the support and engagement of relevant government agencies. It is a great example of the positive impact we can create together by using technology for social good.\u201d
\nThe upscaling of the DBR project shall ultimately contribute to universal birth registration for children in Pakistan; an obligation that Pakistan upholds under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the government\u2019s commitment under the Asia Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Regional Action Framework. The Digital Birth Registration project will also help Pakistan in fulfilling its commitment of fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (16.9), particularly those relating to children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Karachi Leveraging innovation in technology, Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF have handed over the Digital Birth Registration (DBR) system to the Sindh Government. After its successful launch and implementation in 3 pilot districts, the local government in Sindh is now all set to take over the Digital Birth Registration project and scale it across the province. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[20,1797,1796],"class_list":{"0":"post-233573","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-pakistan","9":"tag-telenor","10":"tag-unicef"},"yoast_head":"\n