April 2026, World: Human Rights Council adopts resolution on birth registration and legal identity
The Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law during its sixty-first session, updating the 2023 resolution. The resolution reaffirms that birth registration is essential to establishing legal identity and is closely linked to the realization of all human rights, including access to education, healthcare and protection from exploitation.
The resolution calls on States to remove barriers to registration, strengthen civil registration systems, address gender-discriminatory laws, and ensure access for children in vulnerable situations, including migrants, refugees and stateless persons. It also underscores the role of digital technologies, while stressing the need for safeguards to prevent discrimination, exclusion and misuse of data.
CHIP welcomes this resolution, which reinforces the centrality of birth registration to the child’s right to identity under Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and provides actionable guidance to advance universal registration. CHIP was privileged to provide input for consideration reinforcing inter-operability of CRVS and other sectors.
CHIP thanks the States that brought forward this resolution, including Mexico and Türkiye for their leadership on this resolution, as well as the Human Rights Council, for their continued commitment to strengthening the right to legal identity.
