The Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific was held from 24 to 26 June 2025, at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand. The conference was led by the Regional Steering Group for CRVS and supported by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and other development partners.
The objectives of the conference were to celebrate the achievements of the CRVS Decade; identify areas requiring further action based on the 2025 review to meet the goals and targets of the 2014 Ministerial Declaration and the Regional Action Framework and the 2021 Ministerial Declaration; formally extend the CRVS Decade to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and identify key actions and strengthen commitment to building inclusive and resilient civil registration and vital statistics systems as a foundation for legal identity for all.
UNDP’s Role and Contributions
As part of its continued efforts to strengthen CRVS and legal identity ecosystems across the Asia-Pacific region, UNDP co-hosted and actively contributed to a series of high-level events during the conference. These events highlighted country experiences from Cambodia, Nauru, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka, with UNDP colleagues from Country Offices and the Bangkok Regional Hub showcasing impact on the ground.
Knowledge Exchange and Dialogue
The Sectoral Forum on Inclusive, Resilient, and Digital Civil Registration (23 June), the Side Event on Accelerating CRVS Digitalization Towards Inclusive ID Systems (24 June), and the Ministerial Roundtable on Legal Identity as a Catalyst for Good Governance and Inclusive Services (25 June) provided key platforms for dialogue and knowledge exchange.
UNDP Remarks at the Ministerial Roundtable
At the ministerial roundtable, Sarah Lister, the Co-Director of the Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding Hub at UNDP delivered recorded remarks, reinforcing UNDP’s commitment to advancing inclusive, digital, and resilient legal identity systems in support of the 2030 Agenda.
“At UNDP, we see legal identity rooted in robust CRVS systems, not just as a technical issue, but as a cornerstone of inclusive, accountable and responsive governance, as an enabler of evidence-based policymaking and development planning,” said Sarah Lister. “As co-chair of the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force, we promote robust governance ecosystems to bolster this crucial agenda.”
“We commend your determination to extend the CRVS decade in Asia-Pacific until 2030, so that the remaining gaps can be closed and no one be left without legal identity. Because everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and counted.”
Sarah Lister, Co-Director, Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding Hub, UNDP
UNDP remains committed to building inclusive, resilient, and digitally enabled CRVS and legal identity systems. By strengthening the foundations of legal identity, UNDP helps ensure that no one is left behind in accessing rights, services, and opportunities, advancing good governance and sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
