The General Department of Identification (GDI), under the Ministry of Interior, is responsible for the civil registration system. The powers and functions of the National Registrar (the Director General of GDI, ex-officio) and registrars at the provincial, district and commune level are set out in the Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification. Prakas on Electronic Civil Registration (implementing regulations) govern those communes connected to the electronic civil registration system, while Sub-decree 103 governs those communes operating on paper-based systems. Sub-Decree on the Appointment of the Composition of the National Steering Committee on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification establishes a coordination committee with representatives from all stakeholder ministries.
Summary
Cambodia
Cambodia
Civil Registration System
Does the law designate a national level agency responsible for civil registration?
Does the law provide for a uniform process to complete civil registrations across the country?
At what level of civil division are primary registration offices located?
Does the law establish, or authorize the establishment of, secondary civil registration offices under the jurisdiction of the primary civil registration office?
Is the local civil registrar empowered by law to register vital events? If yes, do they have the power to issue certificates of registration?
Does the law require the local civil registration office to transmit registration records to the national civil registration authority on a regular and timely basis?
Does the law provide for a right and a process to appeal a decision of a civil registrar?
Does the law authorize the local civil registrar to use mobile registration to reach remote or rural areas?
Does the law require that the civil registration authority share data with the agency responsible for producing vital statistics, on a regular and timely basis?
Does the law block the use of technology, such as electronic collection, transmission and storage of data, within the civil registration system?
Is there a national coordinating committee to address issues on the functioning of the civil registration system and its integration with other systems, such as the health sector, vital statistics, national identity system, medicolegal death investigation, and others?
Birth Registration
The Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification (Law on CRVSID), the Prakas on Electronic Civil Registration, and the Interministerial Prakas On Notification of Live Birth and Death to Civil Registrars are the main laws governing birth registration processes. There are clear processes set out in the laws. Informants are primarily family members and the health sector is required to notify births to the civil registration system. It is unclear if birth registration is universal. The Law on CRVSID requires every birth occurring in Cambodia to be registered. However, the Prakas on Electronic Civil Registration contain separate procedures for citizens “without sufficient documents” that require denial of birth registration if a parent cannot be confirmed as a Cambodian citizen. It is unclear if, in these circumstances, birth registration may proceed under procedures set out for foreign parents or if the denial of birth registration is final.
Is birth registration available and compulsory for all births occurring within the country's jurisdiction?
Does the law provide a clear definition of live birth? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?
Where must births be reported?
What are the reporting periods for birth registration specified in law?
Are there any fees for on-time birth registration?
Is the original birth certificate provided free of charge?
Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed birth registration?
Is a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) assigned at birth registration for every child born in the country?
Death Registration
The Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification (Law on CRVSID), the Prakas on Electronic Civil Registration, and the Interministerial Prakas On Notification of Live Birth and Death to Civil Registrars are the main laws governing birth registration processes. Informants are primarily family members and the health sector is required to notify deaths to the civil registration system. Death registrations are compulsory, available and free for all deaths occurring in the territory of Colombia. There are clear procedures laid in the law governing the death registration process.
Is death registration available and compulsory for all events occurring in the country's jurisdiction?
Where must deaths be reported?
Does the law provide a clear definition of death? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?
What are the reporting time periods for death registration specified in the law?
Who is designated as the primary informant for natural deaths that occur in a health facility?
Are there any fees for on-time death registration?
Who is designated primary informant for natural deaths occurring outside a health facility?
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed death registration?
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for deaths that occur in the community?
Does the law link retirment of a UPI and/or identity credential to death registration?
Is the original death certificate provided free of charge?
Stillbirth Reporting
Under the Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification, stillbirths are reported through the health sector only. Stillbirths are not reported through civil registration.
Does the law provide a definition of fetal death? If yes, does the definition of fetal death accord with international guidelines?
Does the law provide a definition of, or criteria for stillbirth? If yes, does the definition of or criteria for stillbirth accord with international guidelines?
What system(s) are used to report stillbirths?
Is stillbirth registration available and compulsory for all stillbirths occurring within the country's jurisdiction?
Who is the designated primary informant for declaring stillbirths to the civil registrar?
What is the role of the health sector in stillbirth registration?
Where must stillbirths be reported?
Are there any fees for stillbirth registration?
Does the civil register contain a separate register for stillbirths, distinct from birth and death registers?
Does the law mandate reporting of all stillbirths through the health sector?
Does the law require or request medical certification of cause of death for stillbirths? If yes, does the medical certificate of cause of death used, accord with the WHO MCCD form?
Cause of Death
Medical certification of causes of death is governed by the Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification, and the Interministerial Prakas on Notification of Live Birth and Death to Civil Registrars. These laws impose a duty upon physicians to complete a Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD) if a cause of death can be determined. An MCCD is not required to register a death.
Does the law require a cause of death (CoD) to register a death?
Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death, for natural deaths occurring in a health facility?
Does the law designate a certifier of cause of death, for natural deaths occurring under medical supervision but outside a health facility?
Does the law provide a form to certify cause of death? If yes, does the form accord with WHO Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Form?
Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death when deaths are unnatural or suspicious, or otherwise referred to the MLDI authority?
Does the standard form death certificate include cause of death information?
Does the law allow for the use of verbal autopsy when there is no MCCD?
Medicolegal Death Investigation
Cambodia has a law enforcement-led medical legal death investigation system. All unnatural or suspicious deaths must be reported to law enforcement. Forensic physicians from hospitals working with law enforcement are responsible for notifying deaths under investigation to the registrar and completing a medical certificate of cause of death. A family member is usually the informant, except in cases of unknown identity, in which case law enforcement is the informant.
Who is designated as the primary informant for unnatural or suspicious deaths?
What type of medicolegal death investigation (MLDI) system does the country have?
Does the law clearly state what types of cases must be referred to the MLDI authority and is this in accordance with international guidance?
Does the law mandate that law enforcement and/or heads of custodial institutions report all deaths in custody to the medicolegal death investigation authority?
For a death referred to the MLDI system, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Vital Statistics
The Law on Statistics establishes the powers of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS). Under the Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identification (Law on CRVSID), the NIS is responsible for compiling vital statistics for the country based on civil registration and Ministry of Health data. Under inter-ministerial prakas on data sharing, the General Department on Identification and the Ministry of Health are required to share anonymized data with the NIS on a quarterly basis.