Identity Papers For IDPs : Stakeholders Call For Easier Access, Quicker Action

The International Organisation for Migration, IOM Cameroon Office and the National Civil Status Registration Office, BUNEC, on Friday, January 27, 2023 in Yaounde held a workshop to come up with a coordinated approach to the putting in place of a holistic legal identity in Cameroon. The workshop was part of the project; “Support to Internally-displaced and Vulnerable Itinerant People in the Centre and East Regions by Evaluating Solutions to Accessing Legal Identity.” 

Civil Status Bill Recommended 
Rising from brainstorming, the two sides recommended that the administrative and legal issue of civil status documents be assured by a Bill on Civil Status Registration. They urged the Prime Minister and Head of Government to sign the draft edict prepared by the inter-ministry committee on re-issue of civil status papers for Internally-displaced People, IDPs. IOM and BUNEC called for the stepping up of awareness campaigns on procedures for reissuing civil status papers to IDPs. Urging councils to include the activity in their annual work plans and budgets. 

Harmonise Cost!
Similarly, stakeholders appealed for the cost of reissuing civil status papers to IDPs to be harmonised. For example, the cost of declarative judgement currently varies from one Legal Department to another. They agreed on the need to digitalise and centralise civil status documents and data, and to strengthen the role of the State by regularly consulting with civil status stakeholders. Finally, IOM and BUNEC officials called for closer collaboration between State agencies for prompt processing of civil status documents issued abroad; and the putting in place of digital civil status archives.  

Closer Coordination     
The objectives of the training were to present challenges to accessing civil status papers, and build on the experiences of stakeholders in the domain and in the registration of displaced people living in urban areas. The workshop sought to come up with recommendations on the coordination of activities between civil status officials and the police. And to produce a draft action plan on legal identity in Cameroon. 

Joint Organisation, Facilitation 
The training was co-facilitated by Alexandre Marie Yomo, General Manager of the National Civil Status Registration Office, and Abdel Rahmane Diop, International Organisation for Migration Head of Mission for Cameroon. Financed by the French government since September 2022, the project, “Support to Internally-displaced and Vulnerable Itinerant People in the Centre and East Regions by Evaluating Solutions to Accessing Legal Identity” offers IDPs access to identification papers like the National Identity Card and birth certificates. 

Without Legal Papers
“Some 1.1 billion people in the world are without legal identity, half of them being in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is a major issue that requires urgent solutions. I am happy the International Organisation for Migration joined hands with BUNEC to organise the training,” said Alexandre Yomo. 

Rendered Stateless By Conflict 
“Because of crises in different parts of Cameroon, an important segment of the population is today without legal identity. We believe the solutions to the problem can be found in the country amongst different stakeholders so that IDPs, refugees, returning immigrants, former non-State combatants, cross-border people, and those affected by crises, all benefit from civil status services,” Abdel Rahmane underscored.   

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