Focus

Given the seriousness and complexity of the problem of under-registration in the hemisphere, the need to strengthen civil registries as institutions, and to overcome obstacles to obtain a civil identity, the General Secretariat of the OAS considers it essential to approach this matter from a multidimensional perspective:

•  Governance: Modernization of civil registration institutions and the promotion of inclusive citizenship, including; the capacity of government institutions to respond to popular demands and guarantee the rights of citizenship.

•  Development: The right to identity as a gateway to the enjoyment of other rights (Economic, Social, Cultural, etc); the importance of universal registration for the monitoring of development indicators, as well as providing reliable statistics for planning and implementing public policies.

•  Rights perspective: To ensure citizen participation in a society, a national government should recognize and protect the rights related to civil identity.

To achieve universal civil identity in the Americas, people should be registered and possess identification composed of accurate data with sufficient information to allow them to enjoy their legal rights, such as general inclusion and participation in governmental affairs.

The Right to an Identity:

•  formalizes the first interaction between the individual and the Government;

•  leads to an interdependent and progressive chain towards other rights;

•  is not uniformly defined in the sphere of international law, but it includes:
- the right to be registered
- the right to a name
- the right to a nationality
- the right to legal recognition as a person before the law