Our staff is undertaking analysis for this metric. Please check back later.
Disclaimer / Limitations
This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Civil Registration System
Papua New Guinea
Responsive Image
Papua New Guinea
Civil Registration System
National Civil Registration Agency
National Civil Registration Agency
National Level Agency
Does the law designate a national level agency responsible for civil registration?
Yes. Civil and Identity Registry.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should clearly establish an agency with responsibility for managing the civil registration system. The structure of the civil registration system varies across countries. Some countreis have a centralized system (controlled at the central government level). Others have a decentralised system (controlled at the sub-national government level). Often, control of the system is shared between the national government and subnational governments. However, even in a fully decentralized system, there should be an agency at the national level to enforce minimum standards or to work cooperatively with decentralized jurisdictions and offices to ensure generally uniform practices and procedures.
The Civil and Identity Registration Act establishes a Civil and Identity Registry as an independent body corporate that is responsible for the registration of all births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages and adoptions in Papua New Guinea.
Powers and Responsibilities of National Civil Registration Agency
Does the law provide for a uniform process to complete civil registrations across the country?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
To improve registration of vital events, legislation should provide for standardized and consistent processes for the notification of vital events throughout a country's jurisdiction.
Does the law estabish the head of the national civil registration agency? If yes, does the law grant sufficient powers to that person to effectively and efficiently implement the system?
Registrar-General. Powers established in the law.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The head of the civil registration agency (often called the national registrar or registrar general) should be clearly set out in the law and should have sufficient power and authority to ensure that the civil registration system functions efficiently and effectively. These powers and responsibilities should include oversight and implementation of the civil registration system; participation in drafting of rules, regulations and instructions to promote uniform practice; delegation of registration responsibilities and powers to other officials; management and inspection of registration offices; conducting quality assurance monitoring and addressing areas of concern; assessing degree of coverage and establishing boundaries for local offices; hiring, management, and training of personnel; management of physical resources and technology; resolution of incidents and appeals; promoting the registration requirements to the public; receiving and compiling data; exchanging information with other agencies; and safekeeping records and archives.
The head of the Civil and Identity Registry is a Registrar-General appointed by the Head of State, acting in accordance with the advice of the National Executive Council, given after considering recommendations from the relevant Minister. The Registrar-General can be appointed for a term of up to five years and is eligible for reappointment.
The Registrar-General is responsible for the daily operations of the Registry and Registry finances. Provincial Registrars and other senior officers in the Registry are appointed by the Registrar-General, with other staff being members of the Public Service. The Registrar-General can enter into partnerships for funding and technical support, and agreements with other government agencies for data collection and the sharing of statistical information. The Registrar-General has the power to propose changes in the regulations on civil registration to ensure uniformity of practice, and to adopt information technology solutions to facilitate civil registration. The Registrar-General is tasked with retaining documents pertaining to civil registration, in electronic form or otherwise, and ensuring that all information stored in an electronic or computerized form is preserved intact. The Registrar-General is empowered to conduct reviews of decisions of Registry staff on application from affected persons. The Registrar-General has broad powers to delegate functions, including the power to register civil events and issue civil event certificates.
The Act is silent on the determination of areas and issues covered by local offices, because it provides in Section 73 that notifications of civil events may be made to any office of the Registry. The Act is also silent on the training of personnel and the promotion of registration requirements to the public.
Does the law allow the national registrar to delegate powers and responsibilities?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The volume of work in most countries may require the head of the civil registration agency to delegate powers or functions to others. The law on civil registration should clearly define who may delegate authority, which duties may be delegated and to whom. It is important that the law identify the powers of delegation for the head of an agency, and clearly identify the persons to whom the head of civil registration agency can delegate powers and responsibilities. For example, the head of an agency might be authorized to delegate duties to the deputy head of the agency or to local registrars.
The Registrar-General has broad powers under Section 9 of the Civil and Identity Registration Act to delegate functions to Senior Registry Officials, including the power to register civil events and issue civil event certificates and the power to correct clerical errors.
In terms of Section 14(2)-(3), the Deputy Registrar-General may exercise the powers and perform the functions and duties of the Registrar-General (except the power of delegation), while Senior Registry Officers must carry out their powers and perform their functions and duties under the Act, at the direction of the Registrar-General.
