A meeting of Southeast Asia (SEA) Registrars was held at Seda Vertis, Manila, from 07-09 February 2023, under the auspices of the Philippines Statistics Authority and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The event was supported by a  number of organizations, including ESCAP, Vital Strategies, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, UNICEF, UNFPA, among others. 

           The activity aims are to investigate and possibly launch the creation of a network for civil registrars in Southeast Asia, facilitate knowledge exchange and potential collaboration on issues/concerns of civil registrars in SEA, and  to record current civil registration practices including common issues and challenges.

           The Regional Director of PSA RSSO XII, Atty. Maqtahar L. Manulon, CESO V, presided over the Legislation Frameworks Committee. 

           Digitization is an improved way to integrate different systems into one seamless system that reinforces a holistic approach to civil registration, vital statistics, and identity management in Southeast Asia. The Regional Action Framework (RAF) for the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade 2015-2024 calls on countries to assess any CRVS related inequalities experienced by population subgroups. Civil registration authorities should be involved in assessing inequalities in CRVS and making changes to legislation and operating procedures to support registration of hard-to-reach and marginalized groups.