Title: UNICEF: 59 Months to Achieve SDG 16.9 on Child Identity
Author: Bhaskar Mishra
Publication: LinkedIn
Date: 30 January 2026
Summary:
The post says that more than 500 million children under five were registered between 2019 and 2024, but more than 200 million still lack proof of legal identity, including 150 million who are unregistered and 55 million who are registered without a birth certificate. It highlights regional concentration of unregistered children in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia and names ten countries that account for 67 percent of all unregistered children. It also warns that digitalization can widen exclusion unless legal identity systems are simplified, inclusive, and linked to CRVS reforms.
Quotes:
“We are now just 59 months and 3 days away from the 2030 target for SDG 16.9.”
“More than 200 million children still lack proof of legal identity.”
“A digital identity is only a digital expression of legal identity.”
“More than 200 million children still lack proof of legal identity.”
“A digital identity is only a digital expression of legal identity.”
Thanks for sharing - in my last decade of UNICEF I saw an explosion of BR efforts - largely donor driven - but without other services to accompany that there was not much demand. I like this integrated approach - and must be drive by host government - not a UNICEF project.
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ReplyDeleteNothing that is driven by UNICEF and other outside actors can succeed without strong ownership. With BR as a standalone - I was the M& E person and would have to use the RBM logic to say "so what" when no other services were offered and too much was skewed to BR as a standalone.. So buy in and government ownership to provide services along side BR is essential.
ReplyDeleteBirth registration is important, but after decades programmes and countless conferences, more than 200 million children still lack proof of legal identity. The problem is governance. Digital identity cannot compensate for governments that lack the capacity or commitment to provide basic services. This is yet another example of the development industry's tendency to celebrate activities rather than results. After half a century, it is time for honest reflection on why the prevailing approach has fallen short of its objective.
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