By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Zambia will assume the new Chairperson-ship of the African Ministers responsible for civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) in October 2019.
The position will be held by Minister of Home Affairs, Stephen Kampyongo for a period of two years.
Zambia, which is taking over from Mauritania, will assume the position at the 5th Conference of African Minister responsible for CRVS that will be held in Zambia from 14th-18th October 2019.
Meanwhile, Mr Kampyongo has commended Zambia’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba for signing the host agreement for the Conference on behalf of Zambia.
On Monday, Zambia signed the agreement to host the Fifth International Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
The Conference themed ‘’Innovation Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System: Foundation for Legal Identity Management’, will take place from 14th to 18th October, 2019 in Lusaka, Zambia.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba signed the Agreement on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister, Joseph Malanji and Zambia.
During the signing ceremony, Mr Mwamba said the management of civil registration was an important pre-requisite to achieving the free movements of goods and people in Africa.
He said Zambia was privileged to host such an international conference and was committed to ensuring that the meeting was successful.
He said it would be difficult to achieve the goals set out in the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) without countries having people with legal identity, proper and adequate statistics on trade and economics.
And African Union Commissioner for Economic Affairs His Excellency, Victor Harrison said no country can develop without adequate and correct statistical information.
He said the forthcoming hosting of the conference by Zambia was testimony of the importance that the African continental body attached importance to capturing correct data as a tool for national development.
The Conference is being organised by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank and the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system registers all births and deaths, issues birth and death certificates, and compiles and disseminates vital statistics, including cause of death information.
It may also record marriages and divorces.
This is contatined in a statement issued by Inutu Mwanza First Secretary-Press / Tourism Zambia Embassy, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
