Sierra Leone consults to amend civil registration legislation

The National Civil Registration Authority of Sierra Leone (NCRA) is reviewing its current civil registration law to identify gaps that need to be filled in line with current changes witnessed by man and technology.

The NCRA is the country’s ID management authority, and led a recent workshop attended by local stakeholders and representatives of international partner organizations, according to a Facebook post by the Authority.

These partners include Irish Aid, the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Focus during the workshop was to discuss possible amendments to the Draft National Civil Registration (NCR) Bill of 2022 and the National Civil Registration Authority Act of 2016.

In the course of the four-day workshop, which was held at the instance of Ministry of Internal Affairs, participants shared thoughts on several issues, including how the legal framework for civil registration in the country can be updated to reflect current exigencies.

They looked at the gaps and inadequacies which they believe have to be addressed in the exiting legislations as the country moves to strengthen its foundational identity system which is seen as a propeller of the government’s digital transformation drive.

Speaking during the workshop, the NCRA Director General, Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, said in order to modernize the country’s civil registration system and render it more efficient, an update to the legal framework and technological deployment is inevitable.

The official noted that a robust CRVS legal framework will not only “strengthen national planning,” but will also enhance “democracy and social protection mechanisms,” AYV News reports.

UNICEF representative in the country, Rudolf Schwenk, emphasized the importance of birth registration as the foundational layer of legal identity, noting that “every child deserves to have their identity recognized,” and therefore “strengthening civil registration is not only a legal imperative but also a step toward achieving sustainable development goals.”

The deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Internal Affairs, Sarty Banya, said amendments to the 2016 legislation would address several challenges brought about by legal, technological and operational changes.

Officials say reflections during the workshop will be useful in shaping the trajectory the legislative amendment process will take.

Article Topics

Africa  |  civil registration  |  CRVS  |  digital identity  |  legal identity  |  National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA)  |  Sierra Leone  |  UNDP  |  UNICEF