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Civil Registration System
Zambia
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Zambia
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. Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship.
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 legal authority for civil registration in Zambia is a Registrar-General in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security who is appointed by the Minister. In practice, Zambia's civil registration system is administered by the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship in this Ministry under the direction of the Registrar-General.
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?
Yes. 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 authority for civil registration in Zambia is a Registrar-General in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security who is appointed by the Minister. The Minister also appoints a Registrar of Births and Deaths for each civil registration district, as well as Deputy and Assistant Registrars if the Minister deems it necessary. In addition, the Minister must appoint Assistant Registrars of Births and Deaths for district sub-centers.
There is no overarching legal provision on the powers and responsibilities of the Registrar-General, but specific duties are set out in various sections. Registrars, Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars work under the supervision of the Registrar-General. Registers of births, still-births and deaths are kept centrally by the Registrar-General. The Registrar-General is also directly responsible for allowing inspections of registers, furnishing certified copies of entries, authorizing the correction of errors, approving name changes of a child, approving the registration of deaths reported after 12 months, and entering adoption orders in the Adopted Children Register.
Does the law allow the national registrar to delegate powers and responsibilities?
No
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 Births and Deaths Registration Act and its subsidiary enactments do not give the Registrar General any express power to delegate his or her powers and responsibilities to subordinates. Instead, these legal instruments give Registrars, Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars specific duties and functions.
