By Yerima Kini Nsom
The French Development Agency, through the programme, French Debt Relieve and Development Contract, better known by its acronym, C2D, is coughing out over FCFA 2.2 billion for a project that will enhance civil status registration records in the West Region.
The project that borders on strengthening civil records and restoring rights was launched in Bafoussam on March 4. Explaining the intricacies of the project to journalists was the main substance of a press briefing that C2D authorities organised in Yaounde on April 24. The project not only enhances the security of citizens’ rights but also supports the planning and implementation of effective public policies in the civil status domain.
Speaking during the occasion, the Coordinator of the C2D technical Secretariat in Yaounde, Berthe Jeanine Tsafack, underlined the importance of the project, highlighting the indispensability of civil records in the life of every citizen.
She said it was incumbent on them to support the initiative, noting that civil documents are absolutely essential because they sanction the legal existence of citizens in many respects.
For her part, the coordinator of the project, Edimo Esther Mireille, said the initiative aims at ameliorating of the civil status ecosystem in all its ramifications. These, she said, include the declaration of civil status acts, the establishment of civil documents, the re-enforcement of the capacity of the civil status actors and providing the entire civil Centre with good equipment and material.
“The objectives of this project are specifically aimed at contributing to the improvement of civil registration through the implementation of much more efficient, reliable and, secure systems: to train the staff in charge of civil registration in 41 local communities of the West Region,” the coordinator explained.
She said the initiative also borders on raising awareness among communities on the importance of civil registration (birth, marriage, and death certificates). According to her, this will not only secure citizens’ rights, but also ensure better planning and optimal implementation of public policies in this sector. This, to her, will equally strengthening the coordination of civil registration actors at the central and local levels for the effectiveness of public action.
Edimo who is an official in the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development said in order to guarantee the security of civil registration data of Cameroonian citizens, they are working with ANTIC, which is the secular arm of the state in terms of new information and communication technologies.
While noting that the road travelled so far in the execution of the project is satisfactory, she said the technical assistance operator has been contracted and the project management unit set into motion. She added that the first steering committee meeting has been held and the project managers remain mobilised to continue to accelerate the execution of the project.
The project that borders on the strengthening of civil status and the restitution of rights is expected to solve some of the problems plaguing the effective registration of civil status events in the country.
The improvement of registration infrastructure, the implementation of awareness campaigns and the development of digital tools to facilitate access to civil status services are some of the results expected from the project.