Unlocking SDG 16.9: Harnessing the UN Legal Identity Agenda for Leaving No One Behind

Recognizing the urgency to accelerate efforts, this side-event of the SDG Summit 2023 will provide an opportunity to discuss strategies for accelerated achievement of universal birth and death registration and legal identity for all in six priority countries, viz. Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. These countries also collectively account for half of the global burden of unregistered children (more than 19 million U1s and over 79 million U5s). Accelerating progress to ensure well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) and identity management systems in these focus countries, therefore, is critical to global progress on SDG 16.9.