CRVS law reshapes governance and social protection in Cambodia

Cambodia is attempting to rebuild its civil registration and identity system to provide universal legal identity for its citizens. The 2023 Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification (CRVSID) is a cornerstone in the establishment of a modernized digital identity system that will bridge historical gaps in public documentation.

The CRVSID law integrates civil registration with digital public infrastructure (DPI), relying on documentary evidence and manual verification for accuracy and safety. In addition, Cambodia’s IDPoor program is improving social protection through digital solutions, resulting in targeted financial aid. Cambodia is improving interoperability between digital identity, social welfare, and government with funding from the UNDP, Vital Strategies, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

As regional civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) networks expand and Cambodia prepares for a fully digital ID implementation, the country is planning for the future to use the CRVS system as the foundation for a broader digital transformation.

Towards inclusive development

According to an opinion piece by UN and government officials in the Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia’s civil registration and identification system was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge regime, leaving generations without legal identity. In response, the government has taken substantial steps to rebuild the system, culminating in the July 2023 enactment of the CRVSID. This law lays the groundwork for a digital identity ecosystem, which is intended to help thousands of previously undocumented people gain access to essential services.

CRVS systems play an important role in DPI by delivering accurate and inclusive data required for healthcare, education, and social protection. Document-based data collection solutions are being integrated into Cambodia’s CRVS to improve trust, security, and interoperability. The government is collaborating with partners to create a real-time data collection system that connects civil registration, social protection, and ID verification.

Cambodia is enhancing governance by pursuing universal CRVS adoption as well as fostering financial and social inclusion for marginalized communities. As the region prepares for the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific in June, Cambodia hopes to establish legal identity as a first step in building DPI to advance sustainable development.

IDPoor and social protection

According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Cambodia’s IDPoor initiative has created a nationally recognized, community-driven system for identifying poverty. IDPoor, which is fully sponsored by the government, provides a transparent, inclusive, and participatory system for successfully targeting social assistance. The program promotes stakeholder engagement, rigorous monitoring, and open data sharing, establishing it as the official poverty identity tool for government and development programs.

IDPoor runs on a national scale, including all rural areas since 2013 and urban areas since 2019. Millions of people participate in the program’s community-led selection process, which boosts legitimacy and ensures local ownership. By 2015, IDPoor was used in 63 percent of Cambodian development programs for targeted interventions, demonstrating its effectiveness.

Despite the increased use of digital tools, IDPoor focuses on speed and inclusivity, ensuring that speedy data gathering does not threaten participation or accuracy. The program’s development into a national social protection instrument was made feasible by early financial pledges from the Cambodian government and partners such as BMZ and DFAT.

Cambodia aims to upgrade its IDPoor system by integrating fingerprint technology and an API layer for interoperability. This shift will enable automated data updates and cross-referencing with the civil registry, and reduce duplications.

Biometric Update recently reported that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has donated 546 tablets and additional ICT equipment to improve Cambodia’s IDPoor initiative. This technology enhances the accuracy, accessibility, and efficiency of identifying vulnerable homes in need of social support.

Following COVID-19, UNDP initially provided 1,700 tablets to speed up on-demand registration, allowing local governments to enroll new beneficiaries. IDPoor has evolved into a completely digital, interoperable social protection system with the support of DFAT and GIZ. Digital solutions now connect cash transfers to the IDPoor database, providing Equity Card holders with easy access to critical help and financial support.

Strengthening Cambodia’s digital payments for financial inclusion

Digital payments are a vital component of Cambodia’s digital economy because of significant development in peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, enabling rules, and a burgeoning mobile money agent network. Cambodian migrant laborers continue to send US$200 to $250 each month as remittances.

Cambodia is implementing a biometric digital ID system to boost financial inclusion and improve social protection programs. A digital ID framework is being reviewed under the National Strategic Plan for Identity 2017-2026, which seeks to create an integrated population identity system. The lack of a single digital ID has resulted in fragmented beneficiary databases, generating inefficiencies in social transfers. Cambodia, inspired by India’s experience, understands the importance of biometric authentication in e-KYC, AML/CFT compliance, and G2P currency transactions. The government is advised to prioritize the introduction of digital IDs to achieve seamless social and financial inclusion.

CRVSID and digital identity expansion

The International Bar Association reports that Cambodia has presented new legislation to construct a new digital civil registration, vital statistics, and identity management system that will be used to grant legal identity to all people who currently lack proof that they even exist; it covers birth, death, marriage, and divorce registration, assigning all residents legal identity, including migrant people.

Cambodia is enacting a complete CRVS law to record births, deaths, marriages, and divorces for both citizens and stateless people. The administration is working to implement the law by training staff to guarantee a smooth transition.

Previous CRVS improvements depended on sub-decrees, which proved inadequate; only 47 percent of fatalities were recorded by 2017. The National Strategic Plan for Identification is supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator within Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Data for Health Initiative, Vital Strategies.

Similar CRVS reforms are being implemented in Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Regional and future exposure

Cambodia actively participates in Asia-Pacific CRVS networks, which focus on improving operational capacity. The upcoming Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific provides an opportunity to build the partnerships stakeholders say are necessary to enhance DPI and biometric digital ID systems in the region.

The opinion piece concludes with a call for stronger partnerships to achieve inclusive civil registration and build on measures like the ADB’s support for Digital Cambodia’s project.

Article Topics

Cambodia  |  civil registration  |  CRVS  |  digital identity  |  digital inclusion  |  digital public infrastructure  |  financial inclusion  |  IDPoor  |  legal identity  |  social protection