Transcript

What document that many of us take for granted may mean the difference between sickness and health, between safety and danger, even between life and death. A simple birth certificate, the official proof that a child's birth has been registered. Birth registration ensures that children are counted and may have basic services such as health, social security, and education. Knowing the age of children is central to protecting them from violence such as child labour, forcible conscription in armed forces, child marriage, trafficking, and facing trial as an adult. A birth certificate is a passport to protection, yet more than 200 million children below the age of five worldwide have not had their births registered.