Summary

Colombia

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Colombia Summary

Colombia

Civil Registration System

Colombia has a national level agency, called the National Civil Registry Office (Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, RNEC) that is responsible for procedures of birth and death registration. The powers and functions of the RNEC are regulated through Decree 1010 of 2000, which grant the RNEC broad and sufficient powers to fulfill its functions for Civil Registration. The decree complies with international guidelines on civil registration. Likewise, Decree 955 of 2002 creates an intersectoral commission on Vital Statistics Management (Cimisión Intersectorial para la Gestión de Estadísticas Vitales) to coordinate and integrate civil registration with vital statistics and the health sector.   

Does the law designate a national level agency responsible for civil registration?

Yes. National Civil Registry Office (Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, RNEC).

Does the law provide for a uniform process to complete civil registrations across the country?

Yes

At what level of civil division are primary registration offices located?

Municipality and district.

Does the law establish, or authorize the establishment of, secondary civil registration offices under the jurisdiction of the primary civil registration office?

Yes

Is the local civil registrar empowered by law to register vital events? If yes, do they have the power to issue certificates of registration?

Civil registrar empowered to register vital events but not to issue certificates

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?

Yes

Does the law provide for a right and a process to appeal a decision of a civil registrar?

Yes a right to and process for appeal is provided for

Does the law authorize the local civil registrar to use mobile registration to reach remote or rural areas?

Yes

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?

No

Does the law block the use of technology, such as electronic collection, transmission and storage of data, within the civil registration system?

No

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?

Yes
Birth Registration

Colombian legislation governing birth is found through different legal instruments including, laws, an Decrees. The main law covering most of the processes for birth registration are found in Decree 1260 of 1970. Our legal analysis of Colombian laws reveals that under the law, birth registrations are universal, compulsory, and free. There are clear processes laid in the law governing the registration procedure. The roles for informants and the health sector are also clearly identified.   

Is birth registration available and compulsory for all births occurring within the country's jurisdiction?

Yes

Does the law provide a clear definition of live birth? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?

Yes live birth is defined by law and accords with international guidelines

Where must births be reported?

Place of occurrence

What are the reporting periods for birth registration specified in law?

1 month

Are there any fees for on-time birth registration?

No

Is the original birth certificate provided free of charge?

Yes

Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?

Either parent

Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?

Either parent

Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed birth registration?

Yes

Is a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) assigned at birth registration for every child born in the country?

UPI assigned at birth registration but only to citizens
Death Registration

Colombian legislation governing death registrations is found through different legal instruments including, laws, and Decrees. The main law covering most of the processes for birth registration are found in Decree 1260 of 1970.

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?

Yes

Where must deaths be reported?

Place of occurrence

Does the law provide a clear definition of death? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?

No death is not defined by law

What are the reporting time periods for death registration specified in the law?

2 days

Who is designated as the primary informant for natural deaths that occur in a health facility?

Nearest relative

Are there any fees for on-time death registration?

No

Who is designated primary informant for natural deaths occurring outside a health facility?

Nearest relative

Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed death registration?

Yes

What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for deaths that occur in the community?

Notification

Does the law link retirment of a UPI and/or identity credential to death registration?

Yes

Is the original death certificate provided free of charge?

No
Medicolegal Death Investigation

Who is designated as the primary informant for unnatural or suspicious deaths?

Other

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?

Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar and statistics agency
Cause of Death

Medical certification of causes of death are governed through different legal instruments including, laws, and Decrees, including Decree 1260 of 1970, Decree 786 of 1990 and Decree 1171 of 1997. The decrees impose a legal duty upon medical officers to issue Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs), which is necessary to register a death. 

Does the law require a cause of death (CoD) to register a death?

Yes medical certificate of cause of death required

Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death, for natural deaths occurring in a health facility?

Yes

Does the law designate a certifier of cause of death, for natural deaths occurring under medical supervision but outside a health facility?

Yes

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?

Yes the law provides a form for certifying cause of death that accords with WHO standard MCCD 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?

Yes

Does the standard form death certificate include cause of death information?

No

Does the law allow for the use of verbal autopsy when there is no MCCD?

Not applicable
Stillbirth Reporting

Stillbirths are reported through the health sector in Colombia, according to Law 9 of 1979 and the joint External Resolution 0037 of 2015. According to Colombian law reporting of stillbirths is mandatory through the health sector, but not in civil registration. 

Does the law provide a definition of fetal death? If yes, does the definition of fetal death accord with international guidelines?

Yes fetal death is defined by law but does not 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?

No

What system(s) are used to report stillbirths?

Health Sector

Is stillbirth registration available and compulsory for all stillbirths occurring within the country's jurisdiction?

Not permitted

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?

Mandatory

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?

MCCD required and accords with WHO MCCD
Vital Statistics

Law 2335 of 2023 establishes the powers of the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísticas –DANE (National Administrative Department for Statistics) in Colombia, which includes the production of vital statistics. The data to produce vital statistics is derived from Colombia’s vital events platform – RUAF-ND. The data is produced for the entire country at a central (or national) level, enabling uniform standards for vital statistics data collection.  However, the law does not provide clear procedures or timeframes for the sharing of data between civil registration system and the vital statistics agency in Colombia. The law obliges DANE to anonymize the data and protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals as a principle governing national statistics at the moment of producing and publishing the statistics.   

Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?

Yes. National Administrative Department of Statistics (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística – DANE)

Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?

Unclear

Are there clear procedures and timeframes in the legal framework to facilitate sharing data from the civil registration agency to the national statistics agency(ies)?

Unclear

Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?

No

Are vital statistics compiled centrally?

Yes

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at birth registration?

Partially

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at death registration?

Partially

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected for stillbirths (either through civil registration or the Ministry of Health)?

Partially