The Cambodian government has introduced new legislation in an attempt to provide a legal identity to the thousands of people in the country who currently lack proof they even exist. The law includes a focus on civil registration – the process of recording births, deaths, marriages and divorces – and is set to be implemented from July 2024. It’ll tackle the issues created where a person doesn’t have a legal identity – for example, limits to their access to public services, human rights and social protections.
The legislation establishes Cambodia as a ‘leader’ in this area, says Romain Santon, Deputy Director for Asia, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) at global health organisation Vital Strategies. Many countries lack a comprehensive law on CRVS if they have one at all, he adds. Yet a legal identity is considered a human right under Article 6 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
In full: https://www.ibanet.org/New-cambodian-law-seeks-to-provide-thousands-with-a-legal-identity
