Maj Gen Elia Costa, Directorate of Civil Registry, Passports, Immigration and Nationality (DCRNPI) - Credit: Michael Daniel/Eye Radio

The government has announced plans to establish a Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system to standardize civil records, issue legal certificates, and introduce digital identification across the country.

The CRVS system is a government framework used to record vital events, including births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths.

The Director General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Major General Elia Costa, said South Sudan is moving towards implementing a modern civil registration system to improve the management of official records.

Speaking to the media upon his return from the Annual Africa CRVS Expert Meeting held in Zimbabwe, General Costa said many African countries have already adopted digital civil registration systems, making it important for South Sudan to establish a functional system.

“We attended the Annual Africa Group of Experts Meeting on Civil Registration, which was held in Zimbabwe for five days. During the meeting, we adopted several resolutions and recommendations on civil registration, covering birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, and digital IDs,” he explained.

He said the meeting adopted resolutions and recommendations aimed at modernizing civil registration, with a focus on birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, and the integration of digital identification systems.

“One of the key resolutions was that every African country should implement a civil registration system. Most African countries are already using such systems, so it is very important for South Sudan to establish one as well,” he said.

General Costa said the South Sudanese delegation also held bilateral discussions with regional partners and international development organizations on the sidelines of the meeting to seek support for technical implementation and capacity building.

He said partner countries expressed readiness to support South Sudan through knowledge transfer, training of civil registry personnel, technical assistance, funding, and the development of infrastructure needed to establish the system.

The five-day Annual Africa CRVS Expert Meeting in Zimbabwe brought together representatives from African countries to discuss challenges facing civil registration systems and identify practical solutions.