Online Reporter
Shingirai Michelle Nyandoro
Zimpapers Correspondent
Zimbabwe will take centre stage on Africa’s civil registration agenda when representatives from all 54 African union Member States converge in Victoria Falls from 17 to 22 July 2026 for the Annual Expert Group Meeting for African Registrars General and the Board of the Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Shared Asset.
The high-level gathering will bring together Registrars General, Senior Government Officials, Civil Registration Experts, Representatives of Regional Economic Communities and Development Partners from across the continent to deliberate on the future of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems in Africa.
More than 130 delegates are expected to attend the meeting, which will be held under the theme: “New CRVS Decade (2026–2036): Consolidating the Gains of APAI-CRVS and Securing the Future of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa through Integration, Decentralisation and Digitalisation.”
The meeting marks the transition from the first Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) Decade (2017–2026) to the New CRVS Decade (2026–2036), with delegates expected to review progress, share lessons, address outstanding challenges and adopt a Consolidated Action Plan to guide implementation over the next 10 years.
Registrar General, Mr Henry Tawona Machiri, said the conference presents a unique opportunity for African countries to build on the progress achieved over the past decade and shape the future of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems on the continent.
“Civil Registration is about recognising every individual before the law and ensuring that no one is left behind. This conference provides an opportunity to transform our collective commitments into practical action that will strengthen legal identity systems across Africa,” he said.
Zimbabwe is hosting the meeting following the 2025 Annual Expert Group Meeting for Registrars General held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, which reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to universal legal identity, stronger civil registration systems and improved production and use of vital statistics. The resolutions adopted in Malabo will help shape discussions in Victoria Falls.
Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems form the backbone of legal identity, effective governance and inclusive development. They ensure the registration of births, deaths, marriages and divorces while generating critical statistics that support national planning, policy formulation and service delivery.
Strengthening CRVS systems is also central to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which seeks to ensure legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030. For millions of Africans, that journey begins with the simple act of registering a birth.
UNICEF Zimbabwe Chief of Child Protection Dr Nyasha Mayanga, said birth registration is fundamental to protecting children’s rights.
“A birth certificate is often a child’s first protection document. Through our partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe and the Civil Registry Department, UNICEF remains committed to ensuring that every child has a legal identity and access to the rights and services that follow. We welcome this opportunity to learn from and share experiences with countries across Africa.”
Dr William Muhwava, chief of the demographic and social statistics Section at the African Centre for Statistics, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said the meeting would play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of CRVS development across the continent.
“The meeting will review progress made over the past decade, assess implementation of the Malabo recommendations and finalise the Consolidated Action Plan for the New CRVS Decade. Its outcomes will inform the Sixth Conference of African Ministers and help chart Africa’s CRVS agenda for the next ten years.”
Consistent with this continental agenda, discussions in Victoria Falls are expected to focus on three strategic pillars identified as critical to the future of CRVS systems in Africa—integration, decentralisation and digitalisation.
The pillars are aimed at strengthening interoperability between Government systems, improving service delivery, enhancing data quality and expanding access to civil registration services.
As delegates gather in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe enters the conference having expanded access to civil registration through decentralisation, digitalisation, interoperability, infrastructure development and targeted outreach programmes in line with Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2.
The Civil Registry Department currently operates 10 provincial offices, 63 district offices and more than 209 sub-offices located at major health institutions and other strategic service points across the country.
