General

‘One child, one birth certificate’ is a UNICEF campaign that aims to ensure that every child is registered at birth and has an official birth certificate, which is essential for:

legal existence,

access to school,

health care,

obtaining identity documents.

Today, millions of children around the world, particularly in Africa, are not registered. This makes them invisible to the state and exposes them to risks such as forced labour, early marriage and trafficking.

UNICEF works with governments and communities to:

modernise civil registration systems,

raise awareness among families,

organise catch-up campaigns,

register births in health centres.