It is an opportunity to reaffirm Vietnam's international integration in ensuring the right to civil registration for its citizens, and fundamental human rights in alignment with the goal of "leaving no one behind."

Nham Ngoc Hien, Deputy Director of the ministry’s Civil Status, Citizenship, and Authentication Department, said that after seven years of implementation, Vietnam has achieved remarkable results, particularly in enhancing management nationwide and ensuring citizens' right to civil registration.

Registration and management methods have gradually been transformed with the development of an electronic civil registration database and the deployment of free, unified electronic civil registration and management software across all registration offices in 63 provinces and centrally-run cities. It will also be rolled out at Vietnam's representative offices abroad.

The rate of on-time birth registrations has increased, with that for children under 5 kept at over 98.5% since 2019, surpassing the targets set in the action programme (97% by 2020 and 98.5% by 2024). The death registration rate has also achieved the objectives outlined in the programme.

At the conference, representatives from relevant ministries, sectors, localities, and international organisations discussed and assessed both the achievements and the challenges that need to be addressed in carrying out the action programme.

They said the correlation of data through information technology, and continued reforms with stronger decentralisation will significantly increase the rate of online civil registration. It is also critical to develop a comprehensive legal framework to enable civil registration regardless of place of residence.

Pham Thi Lan, Head of Population and Development at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, said that the civil registration system holds critical importance in ensuring human rights and citizens' rights. It is a foundation for citizens to access essential public services such as residency, education, health care, and employment. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that everyone can access the civil registration and vital statistics system easily and conveniently.

She stressed that the government should continue prioritising support for vulnerable groups to ensure timely registration. The development of online registration services must guarantee a user-friendly and fully integrated system. Additionally, the civil registration and vital statistics system should be regularly and continuously updated, and interconnected across sectors.

Deputy Minister of Justice Mai Luong Khoi stated that to enhance the quality of vital statistics, the Ministry of Justice, along with relevant ministries should continue reviewing relevant legal documents.

Efforts should focus on intensifying public communication on the connection between civil registration and personal rights, and prioritising capacity-building for personnel involved in civil registration and management. Additionally, resources will be concentrated on completing the public investment project to upgrade the National Electronic Civil Registration Database to meet future requirements, added Khoi./.VNA