KINGSTON (JIS) -- Registrars from across the Caribbean are expected to converge at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James from July 6 to 8 for the Registrar General’s Department’s (RGD) inaugural Civil Registration and Identity Management Conference. The three-day event themed: ‘Civil Registration and Identity Management, A Post Development Imperative’ will be held under the patronage of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, as well as Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. Addressing a JIS Think Tank on May 3, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RGD and Deputy Keeper of the Records, Deidre English Gosse, said the conference is aimed at increasing awareness of the critical importance of civil registration in national development, and in establishing and protecting legal identity.
She noted that it will also allow for knowledge exchange as the registrars discuss ideas, problems, experiences, and provide solutions.
Mrs. English Gosse said that Jamaica sees itself as a leader in birth registration in the Caribbean and is therefore well-placed to engage and provide best practice guidance to other registrars in the region.
“Since 2007, we have introduced the concept of bedside registration, where babies are registered at the point of birth in hospitals especially,” she pointed out.
The CEO said that among the expected outcomes of the conference is the establishment of a Caribbean network of civil registrars that will be able to meet annually, as well as engage with similar bodies such as the Latin American and Caribbean Council for Civil Registration, Identity, and Vital Statistics (CLARCIEV).
Jamaica has been a full member of CLARICIEV since 2014 and with Haiti, these are the only two Caribbean countries represented on the Council. Belize is an associate member of the body.
Mrs. English Gosse said she hopes that the event “will raise the profile of the RGD so that it can be seen as what it truly is – a central agency in national development.”
The RGD is an Executive Agency and Jamaica’s sole repository of birth, death, marriage and fetal death records.
Local stakeholders involved in the staging of the conference include the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN); Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ); Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA); Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA); Ministry of Health; Ministry of Labour and Social Security; as well as the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ).