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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.
Vital Statistics
Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea
Vital Statistics
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Agency
Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?
Yes. National Statistical Office.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The legal framework for the vital statistics system should assign the functions of establishing, operating and maintaining a national vital statistics system to a governmental agency. Most countries assign responsibility for the vital statistics system to the national statistics office. Another option is to place the vital statistics administration within the civil registration agency. A third option is to designate specific government agencies to carry out different vital statistics functions related to their respective areas of work. Whatever option is chosen, close coordination between the vital statistics system, civil registration system, and health sector is essential.
The Statistical Services Act establishes the National Statistical Office as the central statistical authority of the State, responsible for providing statistical information services that produce information to guide policy, planning and management decisions.
Link Between Civil Registration and Vital Statistics
Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
A well-functioning civil registration system is the ideal source from which to derive accurate, complete, timely, and continuous information on vital events. Vital statistics should therefore be derived from civil registration data.
Analysis of the legal instruments available to the reviewer did not identify any provisions relevant to this question.
Law Source
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)?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should require and enable the regular and timely sharing of statistical data from civil registration authority to the vital statistics agency.
There are no explicit legal provisions on this issue in Papua New Guinea law. The Statistical Services Act gives the National Statistics Office a general power to access the records of any State agency. A representative of the National Statistics Office sits on the National CRVS Coordinating Committee established by Section 16 of the Civil and Identity Registration Act to monitor policy and ensure that the CRVS system is effectively coordinated.
One of the objectives cited in the “Papua New Guinea Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Action Plan (2023-2025)” is to establish Memoranda of Understanding between the National Department of Health, the Civil and Identity Register and the National Statistics Office to facilitate relevant CRVS collaborative arrangements.
Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should balance the privacy of individuals, with facilitation of data linkages between the civil registration and vital statistics agency when statistical data is shared between them. Generally vital event information should be submitted with identity information - such as name and unique personal identifier- removed.
Analysis of the legal instruments available to the reviewer did not identify any provisions relevant to this question.
However, one of the objectives cited in the “Papua New Guinea Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Action Plan (2023-2025)” is the establishment of mechanisms for transmitting anonymized civil registration data from the Civil and Identity Register to the National Statistics Office.
