The first session of the Asia-Pacific Stats Café on "Completing the Questionnaire for the 2025 Review of Progress in Implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific" was held on Wednesday, 14 August 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (UTC+7).
The second session will be held on Monday, 2 September 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (UTC+7).
Objectives
This Stats Café series aimed to provide support to participants in the process of completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. The objectives of this series were as follows:
- For ESCAP to share more information on the process and timeline for completing the questionnaire for the 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, including highlighting some frequently asked questions and answers;
- For countries that have already completed the questionnaire to share experiences and lessons learned;
- For participants to ask and/or seek clarification from ESCAP on any questions and required information in the questionnaire;
- To update participants on preparations for the 2025 Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific and call for their support in facilitating optimal engagement from their governments.
Background
Since the proclamation of the Asia and the Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade 2015-2024, members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) have made significant progress in improving their CRVS systems. Findings from the midterm review conducted in 2019 revealed good progress in strengthening CRVS systems compared to the 2015 baseline review. Nonetheless, the midterm review also highlighted some areas requiring additional attention, particularly the registration of births for children under five, death registration and reporting of cause of death.
The 2025 review of progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific aims to not only assess the effectiveness of actions taken after the midterm review but also measure progress throughout the Asia and the Pacific CRVS Decade. The ESCAP secretariat recently launched the questionnaire for the 2025 review with 15 September 2024 as the deadline for members and associate members of ESCAP to return the completed questionnaire to the secretariat.
Findings from the 2025 review will be presented at the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, to be held from 24 to 26 June 2025. The review will showcase the outcomes of CRVS improvement initiatives in Asia and the Pacific to Heads of Government, Ministers, senior government officials, as well as heads of development partners, civil society organizations, media, foundations and the public. The 2025 review will also provide crucial insights for leaders in the region to decide on the future of CRVS initiatives in Asia and the Pacific as we approach the final years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
