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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
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Papua New Guinea
Civil Registration System
Coordination and Technology
Coordination and Technology
Data Sharing
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
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The civil registration agency must submit statistical information collected during registration to the national statistics authority in order for the agency to compile and publish vital statistics. The law should therefore require and enable the regular and timely sharing of data needed for statistical purposes between the civil registration and statistics agency or agencies.
There is no requirement or timetable for sharing civil registration data with the National Statistical Office, which is the central statistical authority of Papua New Guinea. Section 5 of the Statistical Services Act generally requires State agencies to provide access to data that is relevant for statistical purposes and Section 22 requires State agencies to comply with written requests from the National Statistician for relevant documents or records.
Does the law block the use of technology, such as electronic collection, transmission and storage of data, within the civil registration system?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The use of computers, tablets and other electronic devices should be permitted for the collection of data for vital events, and it should be permitted for these data to be transmitted between government agencies and officials with the use of mobile technology or the Internet. Some older laws block the use of technology by requiring manual forms or processes,. Laws should enable technology. However, laws be technology neutral and not specify the method and mode of collection, transmission and storage of data in any civil registration system, as this may prevent system upgrades overtime.
The Civil and Identity Registration Act specifically provides for the use of computers and other technology. Section 8(2)(d) authorizes the Registrar-General to “adopt information technology solutions in order to facilitate registration and transmission and to protect and secure civil and identity registration information”. Section 13(2) allows the Registrar-General to utilize a stamp, machine imprint or electronic device to provide a signature or seal, or both, on a certificate or other document. Section 68(1) states that the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages may consist wholly or partly of an electronic or computer system, while Section 68(7) charges the Registrar-General to ensure that all information stored in an electronic or computerized form is protected by means of an appropriate form of computer backup or other system of duplication or storage.
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
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
To achieve coordination, cooperation, and interoperability amongst various government agencies that govern civil registration, vital statistics compilation and identity management, a stakeholder coordination mechanism should be established. This coordination mechanism can take the form of an inter-agency civil registration, vital statistics and identity management committee, with representatives from each of the stakeholder agencies. Alternatively, a stakeholder coordination mechanism can be a single government agency empowered to coordinate the activities of civil registration, vital statistics and identity management stakeholders and oblige stakeholders to collaborate with the coordinating entity.
Section 16 of the Civil and Identity Registration Act establishes a National CRVS Coordinating Committee with responsibility for monitoring policy and ensuring that the CRVS system is effectively coordinated. In terms of Section 17, its members are the Registrar-General and representatives of the office responsible for national statistical matters, the Electoral Commission, the Medical Board, and the departments responsible for national health, community development and religion, finance, foreign affairs and immigration, justice, national planning and monitoring, and provincial and local-level government affairs. Members of other agencies or organizations may be included “as deemed appropriate”. Section 20(3)-(4) empowers the Coordinating Committee to establish ad hoc committees as required, and to partner with development partners.
