Lesotho makes progress in issuing legal documents – Minister

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The Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Motlalentoa Letsosa says Lesotho has made progress in issuing legal documents.

Mr. Letsosa was speaking during the commemoration of the fifth Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day held at Qanya Ha Sekake in Qacha’s Nek.

This year, CRVS Day was celebrated under the theme; ‘Harnessing coordination, country leadership and ownership to strengthen integrated civil registration and vital statistics systems: a vehicle for #CountingEveryone’.

Mr. Letsosa said since 2013, the ministry has issued birth certificates to 2.5 million people while 1.5 million received their Identification Document (ID), saying the registration of birth certificates has moved from 20 percent to 60 percent and ID from 50 percent to 70 percent.

The Minister, therefore, expressed gratitude for this progress.

The Director of National Identity and Civil Registration, Mr.  Napo Khoele said the ministry will announce statistics on identity documents based on gender and age, saying this will help the country to make plans to improve the country’s economic development.

Mr. Khoele said it is a human right that every Mosotho is legally registered and has up-to-date identification documents.

He, therefore, urged the public to register their children so that they can rightfully have access to services that will be beneficial to them.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative, Mr. Deepak Bhaskaran said he feels honoured to be part of the CRVS Day commemoration which is annually this month.

Mr. Bhaskaran said according to article 6 of the declaration of human rights, every person has the right to be recognised as a person before the law.

He said in Africa, one child out of two has not registered for legal identity, saying a strong CRVS system will benefit the country not only to implement informed policies but also to provide critical social services to Basotho.

Moreover, he noted that it has been 12 years since the establishment of the Africa Program for Accelerated Implement of CRVS, commenting that the commemoration of CRVS is about renewing their commitment of pledging that everyone must have legal identification.

In conclusion, he congratulated Lesotho for making progress in the area of CRVS for the last two years.

Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day is celebrated on 10 August every year with the aim to increase public awareness of the importance of timely registration of vital events, particularly births and deaths, through well-functioning civil and vital statistics systems.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.