unicef birth registration 2009 english

8/8/2019 UNICEF Birth Registration 2009 English

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Bih giionin Koovounite or children



Every Child Counts:

Bih giionin Koovo

unite or children



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This report was written b PRISM Research Oce in Prishtinë/Priština

and aciitated b PRISM Oce in Saraeo.

Thanks to a those researchers who were inoed in carring out research or the

proect and to a those peope who agreed to be interiewed or the proect.

UNICEF woud aso ike to express gratitude to UNHCR oce in Kosoo or proiding

support to better describing and understanding the ega ramework reguating or

concerning birth registration in Kosoo.

Design: XHAD Studio



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Dear reaDer,

I am peased to present ou the rst birth registration report in Kosoo.

Birth registration is the permanent and ocia record o a chid’s existence and is undamenta to the

reaization o chidren’s rights and practica needs. It is the ocia recording o the birth o a chid b

a state administratie process.

Securing chidren’s right to be registered wi aow them to get a passport, open a bank account,

obtain credit, ote and nd empoment. It heps ensure access to basic serices, incuding immuni-

sation, heath care and schoo enroment at the right age. The Conention on the Rights o the Chid

cas or the registration o a chid immediate ater birth (Artice 7).

Birth registration is aso important to hep achiee the Miennium Deeopment Goas: Eectie

panning is irtua impossibe without accurate and comprehensie data, and birth registration pro-

ides the oundation – basic inormation that is ita to oca communities, nationwide strategies and,

utimate, goba cooperation.

As ou wi be abe to read in this stud, commissioned b UNICEF and deeoped in cooperation

with the Ministr o Interior and Prism research compan, the registration o chidren in Kosoo is a

persistent chaenge. Kosoo has the owest birth registration rate in Centra and South Eastern Eu-

rope. Members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities are most ike to not register their

chidren, oowed b Abanians and Turkish. Regiona disparities are aso noted.

In order to reach uniersa birth registration in Kosoo, we need to identi the gaps and ask oursees

what are the best was to bridge those gaps. We need a sstematic approach, both at the sstem

ee and at househod ee. And or the rst time, this report oers some achieabe soutions.

I woud ike to compiment the Ministr o Interior incuding the Department o Registration and Cii

Status or their commitment and or making birth registration one o the main priorities within the

cii registr in Kosoo.

I sincere hope ou wi nd the stud a useu resource, which coud sere as a catast or better

birth registration serices, so that no chid in Kosoo remains inisibe.

M. rob Fudich

Hd o Ofc, UNICeF Koovo



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CONteNts

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................6

1. ExEcuTIVE SummARy ................................................................7

1.1. AIMS OF THE RESEARCH ........................................................................................ 7

1.2. METHODOlOGy ...................................................................................................... 8

1.3. OBSTAClES TO BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ............................................... 8

1.4. BIRTH REGISTRATION: A STATISTICAl OvERvIEW ............................................... 9

1.5. REASONS FOR THE TIMEly,

lATE AND NON-REGISTRATION OF CHIlDREN ......................................................... 10

1.6. WHy IS BIRTH REGISTRATION IMPORTANT?....................................................... 10

1.7. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................ 10

2. INTRODucTION ........................................................................12

2.1. BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................... 12

2.2. OBjECTIvE AND REASONS OF STUDy ................................................................ 14

3. BIRTH REGISTRATION ..............................................................16

3.1. BIRTH REGISTRATION IN GENERAl ................................................................... 16

3.2. BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ..................................................................... 18

3.3. BIRTH REGISTRATION AND CHIlD RIGHTS IN KOSOvO ..................................... 31

3.4.CAlCUlATING BIRTH REGISTRATIONRATES AND DATA RElIABIlITy ................ 35

4. THE REALITy OF BIRTH REGISTRATION

IN KOSOVO: mAIN FINDINGS ....................................................36

4.1. REGIONS AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ............................................. 37

4.2. ETHNICITy AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ........................................... 41

4.3. GENDER AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO .............................................. 43

4.4. EDUCATION AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ........................................ 44

4.5. ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ............... 45

4.6. PlACE OF BIRTH AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO ................................. 46

4.7. PARENTS' BIRTH REGISTRATION

AND BIRTH REGISTRATION IN KOSOvO .................................................................... 47

4.8. REASONS FOR NON-REGISTRATION OF BIRTH ................................................ 47

5.FAcTORS INFLuENcING BIRTH REGISTRATION ........................51

5.1. POlITICAl OBSTAClES ........................................................................................ 51

5.2. ADMINISTRATIvE OBSTAClES ............................................................................. 51

5.3. ECONOMIC OBSTAClES ...................................................................................... 52

5.4. GEOGRAPHIC OBSTAClES ................................................................................... 53

5.5. lEGISlATIvE OBSTAClES ....................................................................................53

5.6. AWARENESS RAISING ACTIvITIES ...................................................................... 54

6. REcOmmENDATIONS AND SuGGESTIONS

FOR FuTuRE PROJEcTS AND POLIcIES ..................................57

ANNEx 1........................................................................................60

RESEARCH METHODOlOGy ...................................................................................... 60

ANNEx 2 .......................................................................................70

WORKSHOP ON BIRTH REGISTRATION:

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 70



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LIst OF aBBreVIatIONsCrC Conention on the Rights o the Chid

CrP/K Cii Rights Program Kosoo

DK/DWa Do not know/Do not want to answer

ID/tD Identication document/trae document

IDI In-depth interiews

KFOr Kosoo Force

MICs Mutipe Indicator Custer Sure

OsCe Organization or Securit and Co-operation in Europe

PIsG Proisiona Institutions o Se-Goernment

r,a,e Roma, Ashkai, Egptian communities in Kosoo

srsG Specia Representatie o Secretar Genera

UNICeF United Nations Chidren’s Fund

UNHCr United Nationa High Commissioner or Reugees

UNMIK United Nations Mission in Kosoo



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1. excuiv umm

1.1. aIMs OF tHe researCHBirth registration is the ocia recording o the birth o a chid b a state administratie process. It

is a permanent and ocia record o a chid’s existence and is undamenta to the reaization o chi-

dren’s rights and practica needs (UNICEF 2002). This right is guaranteed to eer chid according to

the ke internationa document reated to chidren protection – the Conention on the Rights o the

Chid (CRC).

It has been recognized that there is a probem regarding birth registration in Kosoo that needs to

be addressed beore it is urther exacerbated. UNICEF has thereore initiated and conducted this

research proect with the purpose to obtain inormation about the existing situation o birth registra-

tion in Kosoo and identi was to respond to the reckoned barriers.

The aims o the stud are to:

Coect baseine data in order to anaze the rate and characteristics o birth registration in•

Kosoo;

learn more about the sstematic gaps, the extent o the probem and the perceptions on•

birth registration in order to understand the chaenges that Kosoo Goernment aces;

Identi an discrepancies between poic and practice b ocusing on an conficting aws•

and reguations, as we as the attitudes o serice proiders;

Iustrate who is most unerabe b examining how indiiduas perceie, understand and•

dea with the birth registration process and b assessing their access to basic serices such

as heath and education; and

Outine the necessar steps needed to address the issues o birth registration which wi•

contribute to a sustainabe sstem and a ong-term commitment within Kosoo institu-

tions.

This research proect ocuses on the birth registration process where indiiduas are partia or en-

tire un-documented. It ooks at the issue o ate registration and aso expores the issues o birth

registration or abandoned chidren and chidren under guardianship. Furthermore, the research pro-



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ect enisages assessing the birth registration process b eauating the accessibiit o registration

serices in e Kosoo municipaities and understanding peope’s perceptions in order to estabish

where the sstematic gaps ie and what the best soutions woud be.

1.2. MetHODOLOGy1

Three methods were used to anaze the issue o birth registration in Kosoo between December

2007 and ju 2008:

Dk rch which incudes gathering and anazing inormation reeant to the ega rame-

work o the birth registration and its appication in practice.

Quniiv suv rch which incudes a sampe o 1,145 househods with chidren

under 7-ears-o-age and who proided inormation or eer chid in their househod. Thus the

resut is anazed in two was: “b househods” (N=1,145) and “b chidren”, i.e., the tota num-

ber o the chidren in the sureed househods, (N=2,883). The sure aso proides basic inor-

mation about registration o under-5 (N=1,457) and under-18 chidren

Quliiv suv rch which inoed in-depth interiews (IDIs) that heped gie insight

into the oera background o the issue.

These three methods o anasis shed ight on the main actors infuencing birth registration, name:

poitica, administratie and geographica barriers, as we as ega requirements.

1.3. OBstaCLes tO BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOKosoo has had a new sstem o cii registration since 1999. Birth registration in Kosoo is current

reguated b the law on Cii Status Registers and the law on Fami. In some cases there hae

been an inadequate and inconsistent enorcement and impementation o those laws. There are

aso seera administratie reguations reated to this topic.

Impementation o some proisions o the aws proed dicut in some municipa registr oces –

especia ate registration and re-registration. Howeer, the ega ramework reguating birth registra-

tion has recent eoed which wi hep tacke the probems with new soutions.

The Kosoo Constitution proides the rights to a members o communities iing in Kosoo to

register their persona names in their origina orm, as we as proides the possibiit to change the

persona name o a those who hae had their persona data deiated in the past. Meanwhie, the

law on Citizenship oresees the right o a chidren who are born within Kosoo to register in the cii

registr books no matter the permanent settement o their parents.

With the approa o the Kosoo Constitution and the promugation o the law on Citizenship, the

law on Cii Status shoud come into orce. The law on Cii Status wi aciitate the use o wit-

nesses in birth registration o a inhabitants who ack the required documents.

1 For more details about Methodology, see Appendix I



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A compex and disorganized administratie sstem as we as the absence o orma written instruc-

tions hae oten ead to an inconsistent appication o procedures and/or nes or: ate registration,absence o registration, persons reected rom registration, use o witnesses or recording data in

the cii status registr oce. This contributed to create more conusion among both the pubic and

the pubic administration ocias.

Kosoo aso encounters probems in achieing uniersa birth registration because o the existence

o parae cii registration sstems or Serb- and Abanian-maorit areas.

Furthermore, there is current scarce amiiarit among the Kosoans about the importance, the

consequences and the procedures o the birth registration process.

1.4. BIrtH reGIstratION: a statIstICaL OVerVIeW8.3% o Kosoo househods hae aied to register the birth o (some o) their chidren under•

18-ears-o-age.

Comparison between the birth registration rate (among chidren under 5-ears-o-age) in•

Kosoo and in the neighbouring countries shows that the birth registration rate in Kosoo

(93.1%) is er simiar to the one in the FyR Macedonia (93.8%) and that these two coun-

tries hae the owest birth registration rates in the region;

Non-registration o chid birth or the chidren up to 18 ears is most common in the Aba-•

nian-maorit regions o Prishtina/Pristina, Feriza/Uroseac and Mitroica;

The municipaities east ike to register chidren under 18 ears od are in the Abanian-•

maorit areas o Shtime/Stime (26%), Poduee/Podueo (22%) and Obiiq/Obiic (19%);

Meanwhie, Deçan/Decani, Dragash/Dragaš, Gakoa/Dakoica, Skendera/Srbica, viti/vitina•

and Kamenicë/Kamenica hae achieed 100% birth registration rate o the same group;

Among a o Kosoo’s residents, the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities are most•

ike not to register the birth o their chidren (14% o chidren under 18 ears od in the

Abanian-maorit area and 5% in Serb-maorit area hae not been registered) oowed b

Abanians (5.7%) and Turkish (5.2%);Rura househods are more ike than urban not to register the birth o a chid (or chidren up•

to 5 ears non-registration rate in rura areas is 9.3% and or those in urban areas is 5.3%),

especia when considering the Abanians and Bosnians ethnic groups;

Femae chidren are more ike not to be registered at birth – 9.1% o non-registered emae•

chidren up to 5 ears (4.8% o mae chidren), and 6.7% up to 18 ears (4.6% o mae chi-

dren);

Genera, those most ike to be excuded rom birth registration in Kosoo are: emae chidren,

chidren born in rura househods, chidren born to ess educated parents (more precise b ess

educated mothers), chidren born into poor amiies and home-born chidren.



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1.5. reasONs FOr tHe tIMeLy,

Late aND NON-reGIstratION OF CHILDreNRespondents who registered their chidren immediate upon birth (ess than a month ater birth)

did so in order or the chid(ren) “to achiee their rights” (64.5%), “to go to schoo” (51.7%), “to

get medica treatment” (43.5%) and because “it is usua done in m societ” (40%).

A smaer number o the respondents said that the ate birth registration was prompted b the need

to access socia benets (e.g. support or chid care) (30.4%) or need or a passport (20.0%). The

summar inormation about reasons behind beated birth registration indicates that a certain num-

ber o Kosoans hae had their birth registered on ater reaching aduthood! A sma number o

househods hae registered their chidren on when chidren needed a birth certicate in order to

get married (6.4%) or to obtain a drier’s icense (4.0%).

The most common reasons or birth non-registration in Kosoo reported b parents/guardians are:

A ack o knowedge on the importance o birth registration (23% o parents do not know•

that it is in the chid’s interests)

Missing documentation required rom parents to register (identication card, birth certicate•

etc.) (19%)

A ack o knowedge about birth registration procedure (15%)•

Beie that the procedure is inconenient, that is, too ength (13%).•

This indicates that the most common reason or non-registration o births in Kosoo is the ack o

knowedge about adantages/disadantages o registration.

1.6. WHy Is BIrtH reGIstratION IMPOrtaNt?Athough non-registered chidren in Kosoo are not at risk to be excuded rom receiing eementar

education and heath care, man amiies with non-registered chidren hae a probem acquiring

socia assistance. Appicant’s chidren whose birth has not been registered or who are without iden-

tication documents cannot be accounted or as members o his/her househod when cacuating

socia assistance. In simiar situations chidren without birth certicates are treated ike the do notexist. Birth registration is aso essentia in protection eorts, incuding: preenting chid abour b

enorcing minimum-empoment-age aws; ensuring that chidren in confict with the aw are not

treated (ega and practica) as aduts; countering chid marriage; and reducing tracking, as we

as assisting chidren who are repatriated and reunited with ami members.



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1.7. reCOMMeNDatIONsTo contribute to a more eectie birth registration procedure and to enabe Kosoo citizens to exer-

cise uniersa guaranteed rights the oowing recommendations shoud be impemented:

adop nw Lgilion nd implmn xiing gulion

Enorcement and impementation o current laws reguating birth registration and acceeration o

drating o other aws and sub-ega acts which are going to simpi and shorten the birth registration

procedures

eblih n fcin civil u giion m, boh locl nd cnl lvl

The cii status registr shoud be recognized as the ke part o administration and a priorit, both at

municipa and centra ees o Goernment.

Integrated, unctiona and ega reguated registration sstem must be deeoped in order to sere

a the citizens o Kosoo b:

proiding the necessar cii status registr serices in a municipaities,•

ensure standardization and consistenc o sotwares used to coect data across a munici-•

paities2,

estabish the unication o sstems into a singe centraized data base appication to be used•

at the centra ee.

Public dminiion ining

Deeop the capacit o cii status registr and other reeant ocers about current egisation and

good practice on birth registration. Proision o technica assistance to support them in managing

databases at oca and centra ee.

Impov ciizn’ cc o inomion bou bih giion pocdu

Conduct a mutidimensiona inormatie campaign with the aim o raising awareness about birthregistration. Use o media, schoos and hospitas to spread the message about the consequences

and procedures o birth registration.

simpli giion pocdu

Tacke those procedures which hae preented Kosoans in the past rom easi accessing and using

birth registration serices. New aws to be cear and to be consistent impemented when deaing

with the use o witnesses, pace o issuance o birth certicates, ate registrations.

2 UNICEF has recently ound out that the Ministry o Internal Aairs initiated in September 2007 a project called 'Sotwa-res Development or Municipality integration at the Central level'. The project has recently started to be implementedwith the provision o standardized sotwares across all municipalities in Kosovo and will conduct to the unifcation othe dierent systems in a single data base application.



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2. INtrODUCtION 2.1. BaCKGrOUNDArtice 7 o the 1989 UN Conention on the Rights o the Chid states that eer chid “sha be

registered immediate ater birth and sha hae the right rom birth to a name, the right to acquire

a nationait and as ar as possibe, the right to know and be cared or b his or her parents.” It aso

states that “States Parties sha ensure the impementation o these rights in accordance with their

nationa aw and their obigations under the reeant internationa instruments in this ed, in par-

ticuar where the chid woud otherwise be stateess”. Without a recognized name and a nationait

or citizenship (nationait and citizenship are, tpica, used snonmous), granted b the State, a

chid cannot ega proe his/her age or existence. Faiure to be recognized b the State means that

a chid is denied access to basic serices such as heath care or education and is excuded rom an

ega protection that guarantees basic and undamenta human rights.

States that are bound b the CRC are obiged to ensure the impementation o birth registration and

nationait poicies that guarantee citizenship to chidren born within its territor. Due to the recogni-

tion o the CRC in the Constitutiona Framework o Kosoo, Kosoo is thereore obiged to ensure

that eer chid born on its territor is registered at birth and that an eectie birth registration ss-

tem is maintained.

Obstaces preenting the compete registration o a chidren immediate ater birth ma incude a

ack o resources or poitica wi rom goernments, the impracticait o oca registration sstem,

and a ack o awareness o the importance, or een the ear, o birth registration. Obstaces to com-

prehensie birth registration incude a o these actors to a greater and esser extent depending

on the communit and region aected. Howeer, registration methodoog is changing quick as

a resut o poitica and ega deeopments and it is expected that this wi positie and marked

aect the aaiabiit o birth registration throughout Kosoo.



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Dierent registration ees and the existence o parae sstems3 aso contribute to the compex

administratie sstems that impede uniersa birth registration.

For now, some chidren in Kosoo sti hae access to basic serices such as schoos and hospitas

despite not being registered. This ma hae the eect o diminishing the urgenc or need perceied

b communities or registering chidren.

It has been recognized that the birth registration probem in Kosoo needs to be addressed beore it

is urther exacerbated. Kosoo must thereore start addressing the issue o birth registration to en-

sure that a chidren born within its territor are recognized in order to successu guarantee them

their human rights in the uture. For this to be achieed it is thus necessar to coect quantitatie and

quaitatie data on the number o registered/unregistered chidren as we as to identi the sources

o registration in order to expose an sstematic gaps.

Some research has been conducted on birth registration in Kosoo. Foowing a recommendation b

UNHCR, the OSCE recent pubished a monitoring report on the cii registration o the Roma, Ash-

kai and Egptian communities in Kosoo. It aimed to monitor how the PISG and municipaities hae

ensured and attempted to ensure the competion o pending registration requests rom the Roma,

Ashkai and Egptian communities. It has aso sered to highight municipa actiities and practices

regarding birth registration. This has generated basic understanding on the issue o birth registration,

highighting that the probem is especia high but not excusie to the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian

communities, o which UNHCR estimates between 20-40% are acking cii status registration.

The ocus o the OSCE report was on the unctioning o municipaities and their dierent birth reg-

istration practices. In order to buid upon and deepen that knowedge, urther research is needed.

Other sectors, institutions and the centra ee ma aso need to be assessed in order to gain a wider

understanding o the unctioning o the entire birth registration sstem in Kosoo and to be better

inormed on how to take positie action that ensures access or a chidren to birth registration.

It is thereore necessar to conduct a stud that wi assess the sstem aread in pace to identi

where the weaknesses and opportunities ie both rom within and between institutions, and to in-estigate indiidua perceptions rom the popuations. As such, UNICEF conducted this quaitatie

and quantitatie research to earn more about the sstematic gaps, the extent o the probem and

communit perceptions on birth registration in order to understand the chaenges that the Kosoo

Goernment aces.

3 A parallel Serb system in Kosovo operates respecting the rules and procedures o the Serb state administration, and itoperates in the north o Kosovo and enclaves inhabited by majority o Serb population. Both these systems, Kosovo'sand Serb's, operate independently and have no ofcial communication between them. The Serb parallel registrationsystem in the Kosovo territory presents serious obstacles or the civil status registry system as the data rom the Serbinstitutions are not recorded into the existing Kosovo system. Whereas the Serb community did not encounter any

serious problem with the existence o a parallel system, there were requent cases where the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptianscommunities who had registered in the Serb parallel system had problems aterwards to be included in the Kosovoinstitutions. There were several cases recorded where the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians communities were receiving ser-vices rom the health and education o the parallel Serb institutions, but when some territories changed administration(rom Serb to UNMIK and PISG) they aced problems integrating into Kosovo institutions, as the Kosovo institutionsdid not recognize parallel Serb institutions operating in Kosovo.



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2.2. OBjeCtIVe aND reasONs OF stUDyThis research proect ocuses on the birth registration process where indiiduas are partia or en-

tire un-documented. It aso ooks at the issue o ate registration and expores the issues o birthregistration or abandoned chidren and chidren under guardianship care.

The research proect assesses the birth registration process b eauating the accessibiit o regis-

tration serices in e municipaities and understanding peope’s perceptions in order to estabish

where the sstematic gaps ie and what the best soutions woud be.

2.2.1. Min ObcivThe serice structures and birth registration mechanisms aread exist within Kosoo. The oera

obectie o the research is to enhance the present understanding o the birth registration sstem in

order to identi the gaps. This stud aims to then contribute to deeop:

A comprehensie chid protection sstem o birth registration measures and concrete steps•

that wi be impemented and sustained b the Kosoo Goernment;

The constructie engagement o the Kosoo institutions and authorities which wi ensure•

the ega protection and thus maintain principes o human rights o the peope o Kosoo

whist becoming a mode o good practice in the region and in Europe.

The research wi eentua ead to a uture UNICEF proect that woud hep buid and support the

Goernment and Kosoo institutions to hae a sustainabe, modern and incusie sstem o birth

registration.

2.2.2. spcifc Obciv:In order to achiee the oera aim o the research, the oowing strategic obecties are proposed:

Increase the understanding o the birth registration system in Kosovo so that it can be A.

changed rom within

Identi the institutions deaing with and responsibe or birth registration, and caria.

their roes and responsibiities;

Produce quantitatie estimates or ate registration and or unregistered chidren;b.

Assess the coordination/communication ees within the sstem, and aso between thec.sstem and the disadantaged groups;

Assess the registration sstem or births both within and outside hospitas;d.

Understand where the gaps within the sstem ie and what access to basic serices ise.

ike or a communities;

Identi an oersight or misunderstanding o aws regarding chidren and their rights to.

birth registration.

Understand the perspectives o individuals and the discrepancies between communities B.

regarding access to equal opportunities

Understand the traditions, customs and reasons that preent registering a chid;a.

Assess gender issues and sensitiities that contribute to the aiure to register births;b.



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Identi gaps and issues or those not registered.c.

This stud hopes to achiee the oowing:Gain an understanding o the context, especia the inks and gaps between institutions•

inoed in registering indiiduas;

Acquire knowedge on how best to generate change: the was o strengthening the existing•

sstem and how to use other sectors such as the education and heath sectors;

Attempt to contribute, as ar as possibe, to a concrete soution or the incusion o minorit•

communities and unerabe chidren into societ;

Create recommendations with which to adise the Goernment on new birth registration•

poicies and strategies;

Identi methods to simpi the sstem;•

Produce a report on the issue o birth registration in Kosoo that can be compared to other•

countries or used as a mode or uture proects.



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3. BIrtH reGIstratION

3.1. BIrtH reGIstratION IN GeNeraLAn eectie registration sstem proides accurate, time and accessibe birth and popuation data

that enabe goernments to pan or the proision o basic serices such as heath, education and

weare, and to impement reated poicies. Furthermore, when these data are disaggregated, go-

ernments are abe to identi disparities and improe the targeting o program and poic eorts. 4

Birth registration enabes indiiduas to reguate their ega status thus aowing them to get a pass-

port, open a bank account, obtain credit, ote and nd empoment. It heps to ensure access to

basic serices, incuding immunization, heath care and schoo enroment at the right age.

Birth registration is aso essentia in protection eorts, incuding: preenting chid abour b enorc-

ing minimum-empoment-age aws; ensuring that chidren in confict with the aw are not treated

(ega and practica) as aduts; shieding them rom underage miitar serice or conscription;

countering chid marriage; and reducing tracking, as we as assisting chidren who are repatriated

and reunited with ami members.

3.1.1. th Pincipl o ju soli nd ju snguini

In the us soi sstem, right to citizenship is obtained b entr o birth in the cii registr, whie un-der us sanguinis, citizenship ma depend on documentar eidence – genera a birth certicate

– that at east one parent is a nationa o the countr in question. A countr’s poitica constitution or

ounding charter genera determines who is a nationa, who is an aien, and how nationait can be

acquired or ost [UNICEF (2002:4) a]5 .

Some goernments oow the principe o us soi (aw o the soi), whereb those born within the

countr’s territor are considered its nationas, een i one or both o their parents origina come

rom another countr. In this case, birth registration gies the chid automatic right to citizenship o

4 RIGHT AT BIRTH: 2007, Birth Registration in the Countries o Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth oIndependent States, UNICEF 2007.

5 BIRTH REGISTRATION; RIGHT FROM THE START; UNICEF 2002 (Original reerence: United Nations Department oEconomic and Social Aairs, Statistics Division (1998), Handbook on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems,Developing Inormation, Education and Communication, United Nations, New York)



17

Bih giion in Koovo

the countr in which he or she was born. This is the sstem ound in man countries o the Ameri-

cas.

A number o countries grant nationait according to the principe o us sanguinis (aw o bood). In

this case, a chid does not hae an automatic right to citizenship o the countr o birth i neither

parent is a nationa o that State. This sstem appies in most o Asia and the maorit o countries

oowing Isamic aw. In some countries apping us sanguinis, nationait ma on be passed on

b a ather who is a nationa.

Unti recent, Kosoo had no aw reguating the issue o citizenship. This issue had not been ega

reguated due to Kosoo’s current poitica status. The appicabe aws reerred to the peope o Ko-

soo as “inhabitants.” The right to be registered as “habitua residents” o Kosoo was granted to

persons born in Kosoo or who hae at east one parent born in Kosoo, persons who resided in

Kosoo or at east e continuous ears and to otherwise ineigibe dependent chidren o habitua

residents (UNMIK/REG/2000/13 on the Centra Cii Registr).

According to this, both principes (us soi and us sanguinis) were appied. An chid born in Kosoo

was eigibe to become a Kosoo citizen regardess o his/her parents’ nationait. On the other hand,

chidren born in oreign countries, who had a parent with a persona identication document issued

b Kosoo authorities, aso had the right to obtain Kosoo persona identication documents.

With the approa o Kosoo Constitution, the law on Citizenship was aso promugated b the Ko-

soo Assemb. The law on Citizenship gies, to a Kosoo citizens, the right to citizenship, as can be

common ound in other countries. This aw again appies both principes o us soi and us sanguinis

and recognizes an chid born in Kosoo, or an chid with at east one parent with Kosoo citizenship,

can become a Kosoo citizen.

3.1.2. Dfniion o min m ld o bih giionBirth Registration: the ocia recording o the birth o a chid b an administratie process o the

state coordinated b a particuar branch o goernment. It is a permanent and ocia record o a

chid’s existence. [UNICEF, 2006] 6

Cii Registration: the creation o an identit through the coection and recording o the persona data

in a centra registr sstem as a permanent inhabitant o a certain administratie territor.

Habitua Residence: the status one obtains b irtue o cii registration. This status entites those

registered to ID/TD under UNMIK Reguation, etc.

Cii Status Registration: the registration o acts about an indiidua such as inormation on birth,

marriage, death etc.

6 CHILD PROTECTION INFORMATION SHEETS; UNICEF 2006, page 13 http://www.unice.org/protection/fles/Child_Pro-tection_Inormation_Sheets_(Booklet).pd



18

Bih giion in Koovo

De ure stateessness: reers to the condition o an indiidua who is not considered as a nationa b

an State under its domestic aw. [UNHCR]7

De acto stateessness: the manner in which peope ma be rendered as stateess b being excuded

rom the birth registration sstem.

Cii status registers: the ocia registers which contain data regarding persona status o citizen

reated to birth, marriage and death.

Cii registers: the ocia registers which contain data o citizens which are utiized to issue ID, TD,

driing icenses.

3.2. BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVO

3.2.1. Lgl mwokAdministration o birth registers in Kosoo was infuenced b dierent poitica and administratie

estabishments that goerned the territor oer the past decades. In terms o Kosoo's ega status –

unti 1999 it was part o the administratie structure o the Repubic o Serbia; during the 1999-2008

period it was under the United Nations administration and since Februar 2008 it has been decared

an independent State. Unti 1999, birth registration was reguated b the law on Cii Registers

(1981) and the law on Fami Reations (1981).8

Foowing the 1999 Kosoo confict, the ast maorit o cii status registries were destroed or

disocated, which caused probems in the process o aidation o identit o Kosoo inhabitants. Dis-

ocated registries remain in Serbia, in respectie disocated municipaities, and the Serbian authori-

ties do not agree to return them to Kosoo. On the municipaities o Prizren and Gakoa/Dakoica

did not need to restore cii status registr books as the origina pre-war records remained in their

possession (in-depth interiew (IDI) 1)9 . The United Nations Mission in Kosoo (UNMIK) and other

internationa institutions assumed the obigation to re-estabish reeant administratie procedures,

starting rom the cii status reguation and cii registration.

Cii status estabishment was a matter o immediate concern, and actiities in that ed were initi-

ated as soon as the UN took oer the administration o Kosoo. Cii status reguation is a prereq-

uisite or a urther identication registr procedures pertaining to a group o peope. Cii status

reguation is aciitated b registr books which contain a basic persona identication data or each

person within a group o peope. Since cii status registries or Kosoo became unaaiabe, the

process was initiated to reconstruct them. Reconstruction o cii status registries ocia started

7 STATE OF THE WORLD’S REFUGEES; Statelessness and Citizenship; UNHCR http://www.unhcr.org/publ/

PUBL/3eb7ba7d4.pd8 The Law on Marriage and Family Relations, Ofcial Gazette o Kosovo; March 28, 1984. The Kosovo’s new Law onFamily (Assembly o Kosovo Law No. 2004/32, UNMIK/REG/2006/07) does not contain provisions regulating issues rela-ted to giving, correcting and changing personal name. According to the ofcials o the Civil Registration Unit, sectionIX o the old law remains in orce until passing o a new law.

9 Full list o in-depth interviewees is given in the Appendix I (Methodology)



19

Bih giion in Koovo

in 2006, under administratie instruction 2005/04 issued b the lega Oce o the Ministr o Pubic

Serices. It is important to mention that some municipaities initiated the reconstruction o their

cii status registries beore the aboe instruction came into eect. For exampe, the municipait oPrishtinë/Priština started restoring its cii registries in 2000 reing on the 1981 law on Cii Regis-

ters which incuded on a ew proisions about the was to reconstruct cii status registr books

ost due to destruction or other accidents. Howeer, a ew other municipaities deaed the process

o cii status registries’ restoration. The municipait o Mitroicë/ Mitroica can be used as an ex-

ampe haing started the reconstruction process on in the ast ear due to the ack o unding or

such an actiit.

Reconstruction o cii status registr books reied on persona identication documents which Ko-

soo inhabitants owned or which coud hae been obtained rom a number o institutions keeping

records. Hospitas, municipa administration and schoos were ust some o the institutions which

coud hae proided Kosoo residents with copies o persona documents eriing their identit.

Cii status registration was possibe b presenting documents issued b ormer yugosaia, such

as birth certicate, driing icense, hospita reease orm etc. Specia registration procedures were

prescribed b law or persons who were unabe to obtain such documents. Inormation proided b

persons who coud not hae proided persona documents o ormer yugosaia had to be backed b

corroborating witnesses. At about the same time, short beore the rst municipa eections were

hed in Kosoo (in 2001), the process o cii registr was initiated upon which persona identit docu-

ments were issued to a interested Kosoo inhabitants.

Cii registration occurring at this time experienced an enormous turn-out and it is beieed that a

ast maorit o peope iing in Kosoo took part in this registration process. Most o the peope who

registered during this process receied a persona identication card (there were cases o doube

registration, where a person woud approach the registration sstem more than once, and the eec-

tronic sstem was deeoped to identi such cases), athough man peope were unregistered with

the cii registr.

Approaching the cii registr created conusion among the popuation causing them to beiee that

the were proper registered, when the actua continued to ack cii status registration. Thismight hae caused deas or peope to accurate compete and adourn their cii status. Further-

more, ater the cii registration, peope were issued trae documents, which enabed them to trae

abroad whie, at the same time, not being registered with the cii status registr. During this period,

oreign authorities noticed discrepancies between persona documents and requested that these

documents be screened and aidated.

The birth registration process was aso marked b man mistakes and numerous probems. The

institutiona estabishment with urisdiction oer the cii registr process has changed seera times

between 2002 and 2007 [Ministr o Pubic Serices (2002) – Cii Status Department (2005-2007);

Ministr o Interna Aairs (2007-onward)]. Unti 2005 there was a ack o contact between centra

and oca cii status registr oces.



21

Bih giion in Koovo

law 2004/46 on CiiStatus Registers

Assemb o Kosoo, UNMIK/REG/2005/21 Deadines or birth reporting and registration &responsibiities reated to birth registration;Inormation to be recorded in the cii statusregistr books;Proisions or registration o abandoned chidren.

law 2004/3 on Anti-Dis-crimination

Assemb o Kosoo, UNMIK/REG/2004/32 Anti-discrimination law

Reguation on the CentraCii Registr

UNMIK/REG/2000/13 Reguates cii registrationas habitua registration

Administratie instruction2006/05

lega Oce, Ministr o Pubic Serices,Proisiona Institutions o Se-Goernance(PISG)

Reguates the issue o residence certicate(tracking popuation moements)

Administratie instruction

2006/07

lega Oce, Ministr o Pubic Serices,

PISG

Reguates the procedure o reconstruction o

cii registr books in a municipa cii statusregistration oces in Kosoo

Administratie instruction2005/04

lega Oce, Ministr o Pubic Serices,PISG

Reguates the appicant’s right to use originaname on pubic and persona documents(enabing members o Kosoo’s dierent com-munities to hae their name written in theiraphabet-latin and/or Criic)

law on Fami, 2004/32 Assemb o Kosoo, law number2004/32, that is the Fami law, promu-gated b the Kosoo Assemb. 2004/32,UNMIK/REG/2006/07

Does NOT reguate a chid’s right to a name andidentit.Section IX o the preious aw does reguatethese issues and was reported on b the rep-

resentaties o the Cii Registration Unit to besti in use

Table 1. National legislation in Kosovo regulating Birth Registration

Right and dut o birth registration are reguated b the internationa CRC. States parties are required

to respect the right o the chid to an identit, incuding the right to a name and nationait, and to

be registered immediate ater birth (Artices 7, 8). The principes o internationa human rights aw,

incuding the CRC, hae been expicit incorporated into the ega ramework o Kosoo through the

Constitutiona Framework or Proisiona Se-Goernment. Athough Kosoo is not a part to the

CRC –because it sti does not hae the ega status to sign it - it has demonstrated the wiingness

to meet and be guided b internationa standards in its socia poic deeopment.

The right o the chid to a name and identit is reguated b section IX o the preious Fami law. The

choice o persona name is the soe right o a citizen, and he/she uses the name that was recorded

with the Birth Registration Oce. Parents decide about the name o their chid b mutua agreement.

The chid gets the ami name o one or both o his/her parents, uness parents decide that the chid

sha bear a dierent ami name. There are aso proisions about naming the chidren whose par-

ents are deceased, are unknown etc. In case o adoption o a chid, adoptie parents determine the

name o an adopted chid and ma gie the chid their own ami name, uness specica precuded

in the adoption documents. A person who wishes to change his/her name ma do so upon a request

b the parents, the adoptie parents or the guardian, or with the consent o the competent custod

organ. I the chid is oer 10- ears–o-age, his/her consent is aso required. In addition, the Crimina



22

Bih giion in Koovo

Code o Kosoo makes it an oence or a person to concea, repace or in an other wa change the

ami status o a chid (Artice 209).

3.2.2. Who cn gi in h Civil rgi?Anone who can proide proo o identit in the wa prescribed b UNMIK Guideine or Kosoo

Registers (2000)10 has the right to be registered and issued persona documents. This document

sered as a guideine or a oca registr oce cerks, expaining procedures and reguations to be

oowed during issuance o cii status certicates. This guideine was used unti 2005 and was then

substituted b the law on Cii Status Registers.

The approa o Kosoo’s Constitution has recent opened the foor or promugation o law on

Citizenship. The law on Citizenship proides a good ground to dea with Kosoo inhabitants seeking

or registration with the cii registr. Howeer, athough the law on Citizenship entites a peope

born in Kosoo, or who at east hae one parent born in Kosoo to bear the Kosoo citizenship, the

rst step toward obtaining this right wi sti hae to be registration with the cii status registr to

obtain the birth certicate.

3.2.3. Gnl bih giion pocdu3.2.3.1. Where does birth registration take place

Birth registration is competed in the Birth Registr o the Cii Status Registr Oce (registration

oce) o the municipait in which the chid has been born.

3.2.3.2. Who submits the birth registration application?

Medica institutions hae a ega dut to noti the registration oce about the birth o a chid within

the period o 15 das o it taking pace and the birth must be entered into the birth register within 30

das rom its date. In accordance with UNMIK’s reguation 2001/14, medica institutions were pro-

ided in 200111 with standardized orms (common known as “DEM1”) which incude a reeant

inormation or each birth (incuding the identit o parents and other demographic data). This orm is

produced in our copies – one stas on the e o medica institution, one is submitted to the Statisti-

ca Oce o Kosoo, one goes to the Municipa Cii Status Registration Oce and one is gien to

the parent.

Dierent rues hae been appied in dierent municipaities to birth notication procedures. The oca

dispensar in Mitroicë/ Mitroica (which proides care during abour and birth since the hospita is

ocated in the northern part o Mitroicë/ Mitroica and is not accessibe) submits birth notication

orms to birth registr oce once a week (IDI 2). The hospita in Prizren sends birth notications

once eer 15 das (IDI 4), whie the hospita in Gakoa/Dakoica sends notications once eer

two das (IDI 5).

10 This document is in a way not ofcial as it does not have any signature or reerence inormation. It was prepared by anUNMIK employee (Mrs. Verena Ditmar and was widely known as ‘Verena Instruction’) and was disseminated to all civilregistration ofces.

11 Prior to the introduction o this standardized procedure, medical institutions did not use a common Kosovo-wide orm.



24

Bih giion in Koovo

The registration oces were initia inconsistent in the impementation o proisions on ate regis-

tration and re-registration. Howeer, the situation has improed ate. late registration is understoodto incude a birth registrations ater the expir o 30 das rom the date o birth, or a births ater

june 1999. Re-registration is understood to mean registration o a births prior to june 1999, ei-

dence o which was ost due to the oss o origina cii registers in most Kosoo municipaities.

3.2.3.4.Dual registration records

According to the law on Cii Status Registers, a (hospita and home) births in the territor o a

municipait must be registered in that municipait’s cii status registration oce. Howeer, there

are numerous cases o disrespect or this ega proision since new parents nd it easier to register

the birth o their chidren in the municipait in which the reside. For exampe, births taking pace in

the Prishtinë/Priština Hospita shoud, under the law on Cii Status Registers, be registered b the

registr oce o the municipait o Prishtinë/Priština. Howeer, parents oten register these births

in their home municipaities ater presenting the chid’s immunization card and statements b cor-

roborating witnesses that the birth has taken pace at home. In such cases, dua birth registration

records might be created – one in the municipait o chid’s birth and other in the municipait o its

residence.

In order to aoid this probem, man municipaities careu consider inormation about a chid’s

pace o birth. According to some interiewees, municipa registration oces reuse to register chi-

dren who were born in hospitas in another municipait (inorming parents that chidren must be

registered in the registr o the municipait in which the were born) (IDI 2, 5, 7 and 9). This is a

probem or some parents, particuar those who ie outside Prishtinë/Priština, but whose chidren

were born in the Prishtinë/Priština Hospita (IDI 7). In order to aoid dua registration, the birth regis-

tration oce in the Prishtinë/Priština Hospita is issuing conrmations that a chid has not been born

there. For exampe, persons born in Fushë Kosoë/Kosoo Poe can obtain conrmation that the

were not born in the Prishtinë/Priština Hospita so as not to require trae to Prishtinë/Priština eer

time the need a birth certicate.

On proisiona measures can be taken to reduce the requenc o this probem. A possibe soutionmight be to require a reeant medica institutions to proide notication o a chid’s birth both to the

municipait in which the are ocated and to the parents’ municipait o residence. Such inormation

shoud incude the ist o parents’ names and their persona identications numbers.

Howeer, this might on hae imited success due to the oowing two reasons:

Medica institutions are bound b law to proide serices on to the persons who can proide1.

eidence o their identit (in the orm o a persona identication documents), but this is oten

not the case in practice; and

Persona identication documents do not contain inormation about the hoders’ pace o resi-2.

dence which is wh it woud be impossibe to accurate identi the municipait in which new

parents reside (other than to re on their own statements, which can in no wa be considered

a soid proo).



25

Bih giion in Koovo

3.2.3.5.Corroborating witness statements

Due to ack o accurate determination o use o witnesses in the procedures o the cii registration,

which is cear oreseen in the law on Cii Status and which is expected to be promugated in thenear uture, some municipa registration oces show reuctance to compete the birth registration

procedure reing on corroborating witness statements.

Some municipaities do not enabe registration b supping two corroborating witness statements

so that the registration requests b persons without proper identication documents must be sub-

mitted or consideration b ega experts o the lega Aid and Assistance Department o the Ministr

o Interna Aairs.

When birth registration ocers hae doubts or reserations about competing a registration on the

basis o corroborating witness statements, the reer reeant cases to the Ministr o Interna A-

airs requiring a ega interpretation about whether or not to proceed with the registration process.

I the decision is not made at the aboe two ees o goernment, the appicant has a right to submit

his/her case or consideration to an authorized court. According to the Administratie Procedure law,

uness municipa cii status registration oce or Ministr o Interna Aairs can decide about the

case within a period o 30 das, the appicant shoud e a compaint with the District Court.

Home-born chidren can be registered through the procedure o proiding corroboratie statements

o two witnesses who must be cose reaties o the mother. Representaties o the Roma, Ash-

kai and Egptian communities caim that the are not aowed to register the birth o their chidren

through the witness-supported procedure (IDI 12). This is most probab due to the act that a wit-

ness must be registered with the cii status registr in order to be eigibe to conrm the data and

thereore pa the roe o witness. Howeer, gien that man Roma, Ashkai and Egptians aduts

ack cii status registration themsees, the are not entited to perorm the unction o witnesses

o birth.

Birth registration appication

Hospita (priate or pubic) reease papers

Parents’ marriage certicate or signed motherhood/atherhood acknowedgments (or unmarried parents)

Parents’ identication documents.

Table 2.Documents required for registration of hospital-born childrenin the Civil Status Registry’s Births Records

3.2.3.6.Marriage certifcate

Marriage certicate appears to be the most probematic o a documents required or birth registra-

tion. Absence o a marriage certicate is a common probem in man municipaities. According to

the representatie o the birth registration oce in the Prishtina/Pristina Hospita, around 60% o

parents do not hae a marriage certicate. In this case, both parents are required to go together to

the municipa cii status registration oce to enter their chid in the birth register. Parents must

present aid identication documents (IDI 1, 4, and 5). I parents are not ega married, the ather



26

Bih giion in Koovo

is required to proide an acknowedgment o parenthood. I the mother cannot present a marriage

certicate and the ather is absent, the chid is registered under the mother’s surname.

3.2.3.7. Cost o registration

The birth registration orm costs 1 Euro. Inormants rom the Prishtina/Pristina Hospita reported

that some popuation groups – such as war inaids, disabed workers or amiies o aen sodiers

– were exempt rom pament o the birth registration orms. In the municipaities o Prishtina/Pris-

tina, Mitroicë/ Mitroica, Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe and Gakoa/Dakoica this right is extended

to members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities (IDI 1, 2, 3 and 5). According to the

sure, costs o registration are higher than what is indicated because dierent costs are incuded

in the tota sums (Tabe 3).

Document Albanian-majority area Serb-majority area

Transportation costs 4.80 5.54

Parents birth certicate 2.20 7.50

Marriage certicate 2.91 3.64

Parents’ ID 1.00 8.50

Hospita reease orm 1.11 0.93

Administratie costs 4.01 3.41

Required appications 1.78 1.67

TOTAl 17.81 31.19

Table 3.Average cost of birth registration (in euros)

3.2.3.8. Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian population

Dierent opinions were expressed about members o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities.

Representaties o the birth registration oce in the Prishtina/Pristina Hospita said that a members

o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities whose chidren are deiered in the hospita hae

a documents required or birth registration (IDI 7). Howeer, theirs was an isoated exampe consid-

ering that interiewees rom other municipaities said that the members o the Roma, Ashkai and

Egptian communities do not hae documents required or birth registration and that parents must

oten be registered aongside their chidren. (IDI 2 and 5); the main reason or this was attributed tothe ow education ee o members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities (IDI 3).

The inabiit o cii status registration o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian chidren oten comes as a

consequence o ack o registration o the cii status o their ancestors, o one or more precursor

generations. In order to hae the cii status registration o the precursor ami, the presence o

ami members or reeant members is needed. Howeer, absence o ami members or reeant

members poses impediments in registering predecessors as we as current generations.

According to sure resuts, a quarter o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian parents rom the Abanian-

maorit area who registered their chidren’s birth (24.4%) experienced discrimination due to their

ethnicit when accessing pubic institutions. In the Serb-maorit area this kind o experiences was



27

Bih giion in Koovo

reported as er rare, with the notabe exception in Mitroicë/ Mitroica municipait (17%). The re-

search was not abe to expore these perceptions in depth, howeer these indications suggest that

there ma be need or urther stud in this area.

A common probem among members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities is that the

oten ack aid identication documents.

In the municipait o Fushë Kosoë/Kosoo Poe, Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities identi-

cation documents were oten issued b the authorities o disocated Serb municipaities which main-

tained their own cii and goernment structures unti 2004 (medica serices, municipa authorities

etc). According to an inormant (IDI 3), these documents are howeer sometimes accepted as a aid

proo o reeant person’s date o birth, pace o birth name and surname and other identit inorma-

tion, when the appicant acks an other document b which he/she can proe her/his identit.

On one hand this shows pubic ocias’ good ees o fexibiit contributing to protect the interest

o the chid and the ami; on the other this situation highights the ee o conusion and conse-

quent inconsistenc o adopted procedures among pubic ocias, main due to a er compex

administratie sstem. Administratie instruction shoud be much cearer about the conditions under

which these documents are appied and ocias shoud be adequate trained when deaing with

these particuar unerabe citizens.

3.2.3.9. Foreign citizens

Chidren born to Turkish and Chinese citizens, as we as to representaties o the internationa com-

munit in Kosoo, were aso registered b the birth registration oce o Prishtina/Pristina Hospita. In

order to register the birth o their chidren, parents were aso required to go together and to present

their residence permits, identication documents etc. (IDI 7).

Birth registration appication

vaccination card issued b a doctor

Parents’ marriage certicate or signed motherhood/atherhood acknowedgments (or unmarried parents)

Parents’ identication documents

Table 4.Documents required for registration of home-born children

in the Civil Status Registry’s Birth Records

3.2.3.10.Children born in private clinics

Chidren born in priate cinics are subect to the same reguations as home-born chidren and the

same documents are required to register their births. Parents o such chidren are required to sub-

mit reease orms issued b the priate cinic. Pursuant to Artice 16.4 o the law on Cii Status

Registries, a medica personne, not on pubic serice empoees, present/assisting at a birth

are required to noti the authorities within 30 das o that birth.. As such, chidren born in pubic

and priate medica aciities shoud be registered and reported according to the same procedures

i medica sta comp with their ega obigations. Howeer, this research did not encounter an

standardized communication channes estabished between priate cinics and the cii status reg-

istr oces.



28

Bih giion in Koovo

3.2.3.11.Immunization card

Chidren without the immunization card cannot be registered with the cii status registr oce.Their parents are adised to take them to dispensar to receie necessar accines (IDI 2), but ac-

cording to sure resuts the percentage o these cases is sma – 90% o respondents reported that

their chidren hae immunization cards. In the past, chidren were issued with certicates o heath

insurance known as heath books containing inormation about accines and other medica care

the receied. Howeer, chidren now on hae immunization cards containing inormation about

accines the receied. Immunization cards are issued or a chidren who isit pubic heathcare

aciities and the remain in parents’ possession. Immunization cards are issued at a immunization

ocations. Inormation about accines receied and the dates the were administered are entered

into this document. The immunization card can be easi obtained. Issuance o dupicate immuniza-

tion cards is possibe.

A sui generis case is eident among the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities in Fushë Kosoë/

Kosoo Poe. One o the maor probems in the process o registering the birth o chidren in this

municipait who were born in the period rom the end o the war to 2004 is that those chidren do

not hae immunization cards issued b Kosoo heath institutions. Cii status registration oces re-

quire parents to present their chidren’s immunization cards in order to estabish i chidren receied

an accines, but members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities – in about 900 cases

– on hae immunization cards issued b disocated Serb heathcare institutions which are most

o the time not accepted b Kosoo institutions. In such cases, it was reported (IDI 3) that the cii

registr ocers seek other documents as proo o identit o the appicant. I the appicant can not

proide an aternatie identication document the sometimes accept documents issued b the

parae Serb institutions.

In the 1990s when Kosoo’s Abanian popuation was orced to re on the Serb regime to proide

them with socia and pubic serices, the Mother Theresa Association was proiding care during

abour and birth and was issuing their own birth reease orms. These documents were accepted as

a aid proo o identit, in the process o birth re-registration and issuance o new birth certicates

(IDI 3).

3.2.3.12.Children born outside Kosovo

For registration o chidren born outside Kosoo, internationa birth certicates issued b the countr

o birth are aso required. The cii status registration oce in the municipait o Prishtina/Pristina

maintains a birth register o Kosoo citizens born abroad. The are issued the same birth certicate

as Kosoo-born citizens and are most requiring Kosoo identication documents in order to secure

access to education and heathcare (in most cases these are the chidren o Kosoo returnees who

spent some time iing in Western Europe) (IDI 1).

During the war, there were some cases o chid births to Kosoo citizens in Montenegro. Such chi-

dren were usua not issued an identication documents b the State o their birth and it is thus



29

Bih giion in Koovo

impossibe to enter them in a respectie births register in Kosoo uness the can proide a docu-

mentar proo o their pace o birth (IDI 5).

3.2.3.13.Children without parental care

The Ministr o labour and Socia Weare prescribes a detaied procedure or registration o orphans

(IDI 10 and 11). I an orphan is put under guardianship, s/he is to be registered b the 'manager o

the case', or guardian, appointed b the Socia Care and Protection Unit o the Ministr o labour

and Socia Weare. The guardian is obiged to submit a birth registration appication to the cii sta-

tus registration oce. Guardians are initiating and competing registration procedures or chidren

abandoned ater birth (incuding or newborns et at the hospita), as we as or chidren who are

abandoned ater in ie.

Orphans or chidren o unknown parentage are registered as chidren o unknown identit unti nec-

essar identit inormation is ound:

I inormation about a chid’s identit is aaiabe (rom hospita, bioogica mother or some•

other source), it is to be entered into its birth certicate.

I reeant inormation (date o birth, name and surname, etc.) about a ounding is ound at•

a atter stage, the initia issued birth certicate is to be updated with a new one containing

discoered inormation is issued.

In the case o abandoned newborns, the dates when the were ound are registered as their•

dates o birth. Howeer, i the abandoned chid is oder, medica experts are caed to assist

with determining their age.

In the case o newborns et at hospitas, the remain in the abour ward or a coupe o das•

ater which time the are transerred to the paediatric ward and their guardians initiate proce-

dure to register their birth.

Beore chidren are accommodated in orphanages are issued a birth certicate. I a chid is adopted,

the reeant Centre or Socia Work issues a decision updating its birth registration and adoptie par-

ents are registered as its bioogica parents. Howeer, reated inormation is entered into the births

register and the chid has the right to inormation about his/her adoption.

3.2.3.14. Civil Registry Inormation

Cii Status Registrars incude inormation about a chid’s persona name and ami name, its gender,

hour, date, month, ear and pace o his/her birth, permanent residence and the registration number,

as we as inormation about his/her parents’ identit. Proisions were aso made or registration o

abandoned chidren and chidren o parents o unknown identit, as we as or determinations o

parentage to be made b the courts (Artice 18 o the law on Cii Status Registers Book).

3.2.3.15. Discrepancy with articles 7 and 8 o the CRC

The proisions o the existing aws do not require an immediate birth registration as stipuated b Ar-

tice 7 o the CRC. The 30-da period oreseen b the law on Cii Registration Books is twice as ong

as the period oreseen b the CRC. Considering the tradition o birth registration in Kosoo, as we



30

Bih giion in Koovo

as the current preaence o ate registrations, urther reduction o the birth registration deadine ma

hae negatie eect on the number o registered births. Furthermore, the procedure itse is carried

out in two paces: initia registration is competed in reeant medica institutions and na registra-tion in the Cii Registration Unit. This compicates the procedure and makes it dicut to oow.

3.2.3.16. Birth certifcate

I the birth registration represents goernment’s ocia recognition o the existence and identit o a

chid, birth certicate is the tangibe eidence hed b amiies o this recognition. The birth certicate

is a ega document issued to an indiidua and it contains ita inormation captured during birth reg-

istration. At a minimum, it incudes inormation about the person’s name, gender, date and pace o

birth, and about names and home addresses o that person’s parents. Since birth certicates contain

inormation about a person’s pace o birth and persona data o that person’s parents, it can aso be

used to deeop other cii records, such as cii registr and registr o citizens.12

In Kosoo, cii certicates are issued b an ocia appointed b the Department o Genera Admin-

istration o the respectie municipa goernment which has the urisdiction oer a municipa cii

status registration matters.

3.2.3.17. Birth registration and public development strategies

Cii status registration is important or man purposes incuding cadastra panning, statistics, edu-

cation, immunization etc.

Cadastra panning is important or municipaities to deeop appropriate cadastra pans that reguate

use o and or schoos, streets, industr, priate buidings etc. Absence o birth registration eaes

statistics agenc without accurate data and preents the cacuation o reeant statistica indicators

such as birth and death rates etc. In the absence o reiabe registr data about the number and age

o chidren and amiies, it is impossibe to deeop pans or schoo aciities, number o teachers,

necessar education materias etc.

Birth registration is bounded to immunization panning as we. In 2000/2001, UNICEF and oca au-

thorities in Kosoo aunched an initiatie to register a chidren eigibe or immunization. Inormationabout the number o chidren coected through isits to a househods sered as a baseine or the

deeopment o an immunization program incuding pans or the number and distribution o accines

throughout Kosoo. The coected data about the number o accines unused in the preious ear are

reiewed on annua basis and compared to data proided b the Statistica Oce o Kosoo and a

maternit hospitas about the annua number o births.

12 Right at Birth, UNICEF 2007.



31

Bih giion in Koovo

3.3. BIrtH reGIstratION aND CHILD rIGHts IN KOsOVOBirth registration is a prerequisite for the achievement of many legal rights including education, eco-

nomic, cultural and political rights. Following is an overview of international conventions and declara-tions on the rights of children and access to birth registration:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,1948 - Article 15 Everyone has the right to a nationality.

The Conention on the Reduction o Stateessness,1961 - Artice 1

A Contracting State sha grant its nationait to a person born inits territor who woud otherwise be stateess.

Internationa Coenant on Cii and Poitica Rights, 1966- Artice 24

Eer chid sha be registered immediate ater birth and shahae a name…Eer chid has the right to acquire a nationait.

Conention on the Eimination o A orms o Discrimi-nation Against Women, 1979 - Artice 9

…women sha be granted equa rights with men with respect tothe nationait o their chidren.

35th Session o the UN Commissioner or HumanRights, 1989

Notes the importance o birth registration or chid protection,particuar or iegitimate chidren and or reducing sae or track-ing o chidren.

Conention on the Rights o the Chid (CRC), 1989 –Artice 7

The chid sha be registered immediate ater birth and sha haethe right rom birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationaitand as ar as possibe, the right to know and be cared or b his orher parents….States Parties sha ensure the impementation o these rights inaccordance with their nationa aw and their obigations under thereeant internationa instruments in this ed, in particuar wherethe chid woud otherwise be stateess.

Internationa Conention on the Protection o Rightso a Migrant Workers and Members o their Famiies,1990 - Artice 29

Each chid o a migrant worker sha hae the right to a name, toregistration o birth and to a nationait.

European Conention on Nationait, 1997 - Artice 6 Each State Part sha proide in its interna aw or its nationaitto be acquired ex ege b…oundings ound on its territor thatwoud otherwise be stateess…(and) or its nationait to beacquired b chidren born on its territor who do not acquire atbirth another nationait.

Table 5. International human rights instruments related to birth registration13

The CRC introduces our ke rights o chidren reated to birth registration:

Right to registration;1.

Right to registration immediate ater birth;2.

Right to a name and to know one’s parents; and3.

Right to a nationait.4.

Birth registration in Kosoo is cose reated to the oowing chid rights: education, heath care and

socia care.

3.3.1. educionThe Ministr o Education (IDI 13) states that chidren’s birth certicates are requested rom parents

when the are registering them in schoo. Howeer, chidren can be enroed without a birth cer-

ticate in which case parents are requested to proide birth certicate b the end o the rst ear

o schoo. First grade competion certicates cannot be issued to chidren whose parents aied to

submit their birth certicates.

13 Source: UNICEF (2002:3) a



32

Bih giion in Koovo

Sti, this stud has ound out that some schoos enro chidren and keep them enroed een i their

birth certicates are not submitted b the end o the rst ear o schoo.On one hand this approach meets eer chid’s undamenta right to access the educationa sstem;

on the other this approach coud undermine the eorts to educate parents about the importance o

getting birth certicates or their chidren.

In the uture this gap coud be addressed b actiating coaboration between schoos and Parents

and Teachers associations and cii status registration ocers.

In-depth interiews with parents o non-registered chidren (IDI 15) reeaed that the maorit o non-

registered chidren can aso enro in schoo i the submit their chidren’s immunization cards or pae-

diatrician approa. In some cases chidren are enroed based on parents’ ID. None o interiewed

parents said the needed to proide birth certicate b the end o the rst ear o schoo, suggesting

that this poic needs to be better monitored.

The act that birth registration is not necessar or schoo enroment in Kosoo was aso conrmed

b the Association o Parents and Teachers Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe (IDI 12) and its representa-

ties at the centra ee (IDI 14). With regards to this, schoo directors were described as being er

hepu and it was reported that no interested chid has eer been et out o schoo or not owning a

birth certicate.



33

Bih giion in Koovo

For panning purposes, municipa education authorities shoud compare the number o chidren reg-

istered in reeant births registers and chidren enroed in schoos, to assess i a eigibe chidren

were enroed in schoos at the right time. In this wa, schoo enroment woud be tracked. Howeeroten municipa registers oces do not hae accurate data on the number o chidren due to the

dua registration probem: chidren must be registered in the municipait where the are born

rather than in their dweing pace’s municipait (see paragraph 3.2.3.4 o this stud). Man parents

howeer register chidren in both paces (pace o birth and dweing pace) but as this practice is er

inconsistent and not harmonized it is unike that municipaities can re on chidren’s birth registra-

tion as accurate data to monitor i pupis are enroed at the right time.

Inspection serices caed “regiona inspection units” shoud interene in cases o incompete or

suspected orged chidren’s schoo es. Howeer, there were ust a ew such interentions oer the

past coupe o ears, mabe aso because o the inaccurate data stored in municipaities’ oces.

3.3.2. Hlh cAccording to the Kosoo Heath law (nr. 2004/04), access to heathcare is proided on to persons

with aid identit papers. In practice, man chidren and women are proided with heathcare re-

gardess o whether or not the hae necessar documents (birth certicate or ID) (IDI 8). This inor-

mation was reinorced during the sure as we – 66% o the parents who did not register chidbirth

stated that the did not need an document in order to access to heathcare. In-depth interiews

with parents o non-registered chidren conrmed that it is sucient to come to a heathcare centre

and obtain serice; on in rare cases were the asked or an immunization card or socia assistance

document. Heathcare centres keep a og in which the record inormation about the identit o their

patients proided b parents (IDI 8).

Whie the maorit popuation appears abe to access primar heath care without proo o identit,

there are perceied discrepancies based on ethnicit o the person seeking heath care. Whie the

Ministr o Heath representaties maintain that equa treatment is proided to members o a com-

munities iing in Kosoo (IDI 8), oca representaties o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communi-

ties compained that the were preented rom accessing heathcare without proper identication

documents (IDI 14).

Additiona, at the secondar ee o heathcare – when, or exampe, a person o an ethnicit

requires surger or treatment b a speciaized doctor – patients ma be required to proide proo o

their identit (IDI 12).

3.3.3. socil c nd policSocia workers and poice emphasize that ack o identication documents or some o the popua-

tions the work with is a probem the are aced with. Non-registration o the chid birth is a ke

probem or the proision o socia assistance and it causes probems to the poice in uenie dein-

quenc, ami ioence and chid beggars’ cases.



34

Bih giion in Koovo

3.3.4. socil incEerone apping or socia assistance must submit UNMIK identication cards o a members o

his/her househod oer the age o 16 and birth certicates o househod members ounger than 16.Appicants must proe that the are residents o Kosoo and no person without persona identica-

tion documents issued b Kosoo authorities is eigibe or socia assistance.

Appicant’s chidren whose birth has not been registered or who are without identication documents

cannot be accounted or as members o his/her househod in cacuations o the amount o socia as-

sistance to be granted. Howeer, in such cases socia workers encourage appicants to register their

chidren and assist them b proiding inormation about documents required or registration.

I, during their ed work, socia workers encounter amiies who quai or socia assistance, but

are without identit documents, the are to initiate registration procedures or members o such

amiies. In the past, such cases main inoed members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian com-

munities who were assisted b socia workers in competing the registration. Those actiities were

reported b socia workers to the ministr ocias (IDI 11).

The Ministr o labour and Socia Weare (IDI 15) estabished that the amiies whose members

were born outside Kosoo were most ike to ace probems with the ack o identit documents

(or exampe, amiies rom southern Serbia, in the cities o Presheë/Prešeo and Buanoac and in

the western part o the countr). Other amiies were rare ound without identication documents.

Socia assistance programs are designed in a wa to encourage popuation to register and app or

persona documents.

Poor amiies identied b socia workers are assisted with securing a documents the need to

app or socia assistance. Socia workers submit requests to reeant authorities to exempt these

amiies rom paing ees or such documents or hep such amiies to gather a documents required

or apping or socia assistance. Near a Abanians (99%) who app or socia assistance aread

hae identication documents (IDI12). Absence o identication documents is more common among

members o minorit groups, particuar the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian (this was conrmed b

IDI 12). The socia assistance scheme has great contributed to increasing awareness among thepopuation, and particuar parents, about the importance o registering birth and obtaining persona

identication documents.

3.3.5. juvnil dlinquncjuenie oenders’ poice records incude genera inormation (name, ami name, date o birth,

pace o birth, parents’ names etc. - most o this inormation is gathered through an interiew, but

documentar eidence might be required ater on). I uenie oenders are ound not to hae aid

identit documents (birth certicate etc.), other identication documents are accepted, incuding

schoo achieement bookets, immunization cards etc. Inormation gathered through an interiew

with a uenie oender (or his parents/caregiers), must be recorded (IDI 6).



35

Bih giion in Koovo

3.3.6. Fmil violncWhen poice interene in cases o ami ioence the re on parents to proide inormation about

uenie chidren – i poice has doubts about the accurac o gien inormation, inormants are re-quired to proide documentar eidence (IDI 6).

3.3.7. Child bggThe most dicut task or poice is identiing chid beggars, that is, securing their aid identication

documents. This is particuar true or beggars coming rom Abania who are without an identica-

tion paper. In the 2004/05 period, poice identied 74 chid beggars rom Abania or rom the Roma,

Ashkai and Egptian communit. Abanian beggars were repatriated with the hep o the udiciar.

Nowadas chid beggars are dominant members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities

or ormer Kosoo residents (main Roma, Ashkai and Egptian popuation or peope rom Abania).

3.4. CaLCULatING BIrtH reGIstratIONrates aND Data reLIaBILIty14

The ocia birth registration rate is cacuated as the proportion o tota ie births that are registered.

In practice, the cacuation o birth registration rates aries, though eectie cii registration sstems

are best paced to coect precise data or both ie births and registered births.

Census and sure data do not proide compete, permanent and continuous inormation about the

popuation. Census data are tpica captured on eer 10 ears, whie sures re on inormation

proided b sampe popuations or empirica obserations. It can be assumed that oera registra-

tion ees are ower than estimates suggest gien the dicuties in capturing the true birth rate. In

addition, births among high marginaized popuations are ike to be particuar underrepresented

gien that methodoogies o cii registration outreach and sure samping tend to reach dispropor-

tionate sma portions o these groups, resuting in articia high birth registration rates. Inaccu-

rate data reduce goernment capacit to target poic and programming eorts, especia to those

who most need these serices.

Keeping in mind the ack o popuation census and other demographica inormation o the Kosooinhabitants, as we as faws in the sstem o the new birth registrations, it is impossibe to acquire

reiabe data reated to birth registration rom the Statistica Oce in Kosoo. Because o the ack o

such data, this sure coud estimate the birth registration rate in Kosoo.

14 Right at Birth, UNICEF 2007



36

Bih giion in Koovo

4. tHe reaLIty OF BIrtHreGIstratION IN KOsOVO:MaIN FINDINGsThe sure resuts show that 8.3% o Kosoo househods hae aied to register the birth o (some

o) their chidren (under 18-ears-o-age). This percentage incudes 3.1% o househods which did

not register an o their chidren and 5.2% o househods which registered some, but who aied to

register at east one o their chidren. Househods rom both the aboe groups were more numerous

in the Abanian-maorit area (where 3.8% o sureed amiies did not register the birth o an o

their chidren whie 6.6% did not register birth o

some o their chidren), whie the were er rare

in the Serb-maorit area (0.8% o househods).

SIn both cases, the birth non-registration rate,

as identied b Prism Research, is signicant

ower than the ocia 15% quoted b Kosoo

Ministries o Pubic Serices and Interior Aairs.

Howeer, the ocia birth non-registration rate is

more an estimate than a we-estabished act.

Besides, it does not account or the chidren o

Kosoo Serbs whose birth had been registered

with parae institutions (run b Begrade authori-

ties) which are not ocia recognized in Kosoo.

This sure has proen that the birth registration

rate in the Serb-maorit parts o Kosoo is high

and that the cases o non-registration are uncom-

mon in this area.

It is aso important to note that the aboe esti-

mate b the Ministr o Pubic Serices and the

Interior Ministr is not dated so there is no cear

knowedge o when statistica data was coected.

Because o the intense pubic awareness cam-

paigns and actie measures to encourage birth

registration in Kosoo (b opening birth registra-

tion oces in each municipait, improing their

work and ecienc, estabishing mobie teams

or birth registration...) impemented in Kosoo

oer the past ear, it is high ike that the sur-

Bih giion o childn und18--o-g

Bih giion o childn und5--o-g

LeGeNDPrishtinë/Pristina region

Mitrovica/K.Mitrovica region

Gjakovë/Djakovica region

Prizren region

Ferizaj/Urosevac region

Gjilan/Gnjilane region

Pejë/pec region


Mitrovica/K.Mitrovicaregion


Prizren region



Pejë/pec region

93.1%

94.3%

93.1%

Shtërpcë

Gjilan

Podujevë

Dragash

Mitrovicë

Gjakovë

Zubin Potok

LipjanMalishevë

Shtime

VitiSuharekë

Kamenicë

Prishtinë

Prizren

Skenderaj

Gllogovc

Istog

ObiliqPejë

Leposaviq

Ferizaj

NovobërdëDeçan

Rahovec

Vushtrri

Kaçanik

KlinëF.Kosovë

Zveçan

Gnjilane

Kamenica

Priština

Podujevo

Štrpce

Dragaš

Mitrovica

Ðakovica

Zubin Potok

LipljanMališevo

Štimlje

VitinaSuva

Reka

Prizren

Srbica

Glogovac

Istok

ObiliPe

Leposavi

Uroševac

Novo

BrdoDe ani

Orahovac

Vu itrn

Ka anik

KlinaK.Polje

Zve an

Shtërpcë

Gjilan

Podujevë

Dragash

Mitrovicë

Gjakovë

Zubin Potok

LipjanMalishevë

Shtime

VitiSuharekë

Kamenicë

Prishtinë

Prizren

Skenderaj

Gllogovc

Istog

ObiliqPejë

Leposaviq

Ferizaj

NovobërdëDeçan

Rahovec

Vushtrri

Kaçanik

KlinëF.Kosovë

Zveçan

Gnjilane

Kamenica

Priština

Podujevo

Štrpce

Dragaš

Mitrovica

Ðakovica

Zubin Potok

LipljanMališevo

Štimlje

VitinaSuva

Reka

Prizren

Srbica

Glogovac

Istok

ObiliPe

Leposavi

Uroševac

Novo

BrdoDe ani

Orahovac

Vu itrn

Ka anik

KlinaK.Polje

Zve an



37

Bih giion in Koovo

e resuts proide an “updated” picture and can sere as an indicator o the success o the recent

awareness actiities and encouragement or continued work on achieing registration o eer birth

in Kosoo.

Comparison between the birth registration rate (among chidren under 5-ears-o-age) in Kosoo

and in the neighbouring countries shows that the birth registration rate in Kosoo (93.1%) is er

simiar to the one in the FyR Macedonia (93.8%) and that these two countries hae the owest birth

registration rates in the region. Other neighbouring countries either hae a high birth registration rate

(Abania 97.6%) or hae achieed 100% birth registration (Serbia 100%, Montenegro 100%).15

4.1. reGIONs aND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOAthough the members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities in Kosoo are the most

ike not to register birth o their chidren, the birth non-registration is aso present among Abanian,

Turkish and Bosnian househods, so this it is more a probem in the Abanian-maorit than in the

Serb-maorit area.

Non-registration o birth is

most common in the re-

gions o Prishtinë/Priština

and Feriza/Uroseac.

Other than that, the birth

non-registration rates

among chidren under

18- ears-o-age in the

Mitroicë/ Mitroica region

and among chidren under

5-ears-o-age in the Priz-

ren region are higher than

the Kosoo aerage.

Birth registration rates di-

er across dierent munici-paities in the Abanian-ma-

orit regions. This situation

is main aarming in the

municipaities o Shtime/

Stime, Poduee/Podueo

and Obiiq/Obiic, where

between a th and a quarter o chidren up to 18-ears-o-age hae not had their birth registered.

The aboe indicated are on 3 out o 12 municipaities in the Abanian-maorit area where birth non-

registration rate among chidren up to 18-ears-o-age is higher than the Kosoo aerage.

15 Right at Birth: UNICEF 2007.

Bih non-giion o childn und 18--o-g

in gion in h albnin-moi

Shtërpcë

Gjilan

Podujevë

Dragash

Mitrovicë

Gjakovë

Zubin Potok

LipjanMalishevë

Shtime

VitiSuharekë

Kamenicë

Prishtinë

Prizren

Skenderaj

Gllogovc

Istog

ObiliqPejë

Leposaviq

Ferizaj

NovobërdëDeçan

Rahovec

Vushtrri

Kaçanik

KlinëF.Kosovë

Zveçan

Gnjilane

Kamenica

Priština

Podujevo

Štrpce

Dragaš

Mitrovica

Ðakovica

Zubin Potok

LipljanMališevo

Štimlje

VitinaSuva

Reka

Prizren

Srbica

Glogovac

Istok

ObiliPe

Leposavi

Uroševac

Novo

BrdoDe ani

Orahovac

Vu itrn

Ka anik

Klina K.Polje

Zve an


Mitrovica/K.Mitrovica region


Prizren region



Pejë/pec region

0.5%

4.0%

9.6%

13.9%6.0%

5.3%

0.8%



38

Bih giion in Koovo

Bih non-giion in h municiplii in Bih non-giion in h municiplii inh albnin-moi h sb-moi sb

moi

Non-registration o chid births is higher in the Abanian-maorit area (6.8%) than in Serb-maorit

area.(1.5%).16 Thereore, the birth registration rate among chidren under 18-ears-o-age in the A-

banian maorit area is 93.2% and in the Serb maorit area 98.5%. Inormation about chidren ess

than 5-ears-o-age shows that the birth registration rate in this popuation group is een ower – in

the Abanian-maorit area it stands at 91.8% and in the Serb-maorit area at 97.4% (see Graph 1).

Graph 1. Registration of child births in Kosovo

16 Respondents o all ethnicities in the Albanian-majority area have registered their children with The Provisional Institu-tions o Sel-Governance (Kosovo institutions) or the pre-1999 institutions operating in Kosovo (depending on the year

o their child’s birth). Serb respondents have evenly registered their children born ater 1999 with the pre-1999 institu-tions operating in Kosovo and post-1999 Serbian authorities operating in Kosovo and Kosovo dislocated municipalitiesin Serbia. Members o other ethnic groups living in the Serb-majority area were most likely to register their childrenwith post-1999 Serbian authorities operating in Kosovo and Kosovo dislocated municipalities in Serbia. Similar tothe respondents in the Albanian-majority area, respondents living in the Serb-majority area who had registered theirchildren beore 1999 did so with the institutions that operated in Kosovo at that time.

93,1 91,897,4

0

20

40

60

80

100

Kosovo Albanian

MajorityArea

Serb Majority

Area

%

BIRTH REGISTRATION RATE FOR THE CHILDREN UP TO 18 YEARS OF AGE

94,3 93,298,5

0

20

40

60

80

100

Kosovo Albanian

MajorityArea

Serb Majority

Area

%

BIRTH REGISTRATION RATE FOR THE CHILDREN UP TO 5 YEARS OF AGE

7%0%

8%

0%

0%

3%

1%

0%0%

0%

0%22%

15%

0%

1%

0%8%

9%

2%

0%

7%

1%

5%

0% 2%

0%

5%

16%

26%11%

9%19%



39

Bih giion in Koovo

The rate o non-registered chid births was aso reatie high in the Abanian-maorit parts o Peë/

Peć and Prizren regions. In the Abanian-maorit parts o Kosoo, on the regions o Gakoo/Dak-

oica and Gian/Gniane hae had a “unctiona” birth registration (See Graph 2).There was no such dierence between dierent Serb-maorit regions – non-registration o chidren

up to 18-ears-o-age was equa uncommon throughout the Serb-maorit area17 (See Graph 2)

Graph 2. The rate of non-registration of child births is the highest in (the Albanian majority parts of)

Prishtina/Pristina and Ferizaj/Urosevac regions (graph provides information about birth non-registration rates among children under 18-years-of-age)

In contrast, some municipaities hae achieed 100% birth registration (Deçan/Decani, Dragash/

Dragaš, Gakoë/Ðakoica, Skendera/Srbica, viti/vitina, Kamenicë/Kamenica) so the coud be used

as “good practice” exampes. In the Serb-maorit areas, there were no ariations across munici-

paities in birth registration o chidren ewer than 18-ears-o-age. The maorit o non-registered

chidren under age o 5 rom the Serb maorit area were iing in the municipait o Mitroicë/

Mitroica (5.5%).

17 Concerning the children under 5 years o age, a similar trend had been registered – there were no signifcant dieren-ces in birth registration rates across dierent regions o the Serb majority area, while the birth non-registration ratein the Albanian majority area was the highest in the regions o Pristina and Ferizaj/Urosevac, ollowed by regions oPrizren and Mitrovice/Mitrovica, while it was the lowest in the regions o Gjakovë/Đakova and Gjilan/Gnjilane.

13.87

9.58

6.01

5.28

3.98

0.83

0.46

2.35

0.89

0.00

0.00

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Mitrovicaregion

Peja

region

Prizrenregion

Gjilanregion

Gjakovaregion

Mitrovicaregion

Prishtina

region

Prishtinaregion

Ferizajregion

Ferizajregion

Gjilanregion

A l b a n i a n M a j

o r i t y A r e a

S e r b M a

j o r i t y A r e a

%

Priština

Uroševac

Peć

Prizren

Gnjilane

Đakovica

Mitrovica

Priština

Uroševac

Gnjilane



40

Bih giion in Koovo

Graph 3 Birth non-registration among children up to 18-years-of-age is mostly frequent in the municipalities of Shtime/Stimlje, Podujeve/Podujevo and Obiliq/Obilic

Abanians and Bosniaks iing in rura areas are more ike than members o their ethnic groups in ur-

ban areas not to register birth o their chidren. This is equa true or chidren up to 5 and or chidren

up to 18-ears-o-age. Earier research suggests that, in Abanian-maorit area on, non-registration

o chid births is more common in rura than in urban areas, in Kosoo (and equa among the chi-

dren under-5 as among the chidren under 18-ears-o-age).

As ar as the Serb-maorit area is concerned, there were no ariations in birth registration across

rura-urban categories. Aso, there were some dierences to this rue in the Abanian-maorit area –

the trend in Mitroicë/ Mitroica was exact the opposite, that is, chidren iing in cities were more

ike than the chidren iing in rura areas not to hae been registered at birth (see Graph 5).

Graph 4 Birth non-registration rate for urban and rural areas in Kosovo

2 5 . 8 1

2 1 . 7 4

1 9 . 2 3

1 6 . 1 8

1 5 . 1 8

1 0 . 6 1

9 . 3 8

8 . 7 3

8 . 4 3

8 . 0 9

7 . 2 5

6 . 5 9

5 . 0 0

3 . 8 5

1 . 9 2

1 . 9 2

1 . 8 6

1 . 4 9

1 . 3 0

3 . 2 1

1 . 2 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

S h t i m e

P o d u j e v e

O b i l i q

L i p j a n

P r i s h t i n e

M a l i s h e v e

S u h a r e k e

F . K o s o v a

F e r i z a j

M i t r o v i c e

P e j e

V u s h t r r i

K l i n e

K a c a n i k

G l l o g o v c

R a h o v e c

P r i z r e n

I s t o g

G j i l a n

D e c a n

D r a g a s h

G j a k o v e

S k e n d e r a j

V i t i

K a m e n i c e

K . M i t r o v i c a

P r i s t i n a

L e p o s a v i c

Z u b i n

Z v e c a n

K . K a m e n i c a

N o v o B r d o

S t r p c e

%

Š t i m l j e

P o d u j e v o

O

b i l i ć

L

i p l j a n

P r i š t i

n a

M a l i š e v

o

S u v a R e k a

K . P o l j e

U r o š e

v a c

M i t r o v i c a

P e ć

V u č i t r n K

l i n a

K a č a

n i k

G l o g o v

a c

O r a h o v

a c

P r i

z r e n

I s t o k

G n j i l a n e

D e č a n i

D r a g a š

Đ a k o v

i c a

S r b i c a

V i t i n a

K a m e n i c a

M i t r o v i c a

P r i š t

i n a

L e p o s a v i ć

Z

u b i n

Z v e

č a n

K a m e n i c a

N o v o B r d o Š t r p c e

Albanian Majority Area Serb Majority Area

5.3

4.4

7.4

0

2

4

6

8

10

Urban Rural Urban Ruraln

Up to 5 years Up to 18 years

%

9.3



41

Bih giion in Koovo

Graph 5 Non-registration of child births was more common in the rural parts of Albanian-majority area(graph shows the birth non-registration rate among children under 18-years–of-age)

The situation was simiar in both municipaities in the Mitroicë/ Mitroica region in which non-

registered chidren had been ound (Mitroica and vushtrri/vucitrn) – chidren iing in urban centers

were more ike not to hae had their birth registered. This is due to Roma, Ashkai and Egptian

househods (who were amost the on popuation group in this region not to hae registered birth

o chidren under 18-ears-o-age) iing in urban parts o Mitroicë/ Mitroica and vushtrri/vucitrn

municipaities.

Further anasis has aso indicated a stead birth non-registration rate among members o Roma,

Ashkai and Egptian and Turkish communities regardess o whether the ie in urban or rura areas,

whie more rura than urban Abanian and Bosnian househods were not registering birth o their

chidren.

4.2. etHNICIty aND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOMembers o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities are the most ike among a Kosoo resi-

dents not to register the birth o their chidren. The non-registration rate o chidren up to 18- ears-

o-age o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian ethnicities in the Abanian-maorit area was 14% and in the

Serb-maorit area it was 5%.

Non-registration o chid births (or chidren up to 18 ears o age) in the Abanian-maorit area was

aso present among members o Abanian (5.7%) and Turkish (5.2%) communities as we as among

Bosnians (3.3%). In the Serb-maorit area this correation was estabished on in the case o mem-

bers o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian and Bosnians (See Graph 6).

9.15 7.96

1.03 2.546.17

0.79 .26

20.70

1.22

6.25

15.15

0.87

8.33

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Prishtina

region

Mitrovica

region

Gjakova

region

Prizren

region

Ferizaj

region

Gjilan

region

Peja

region

%

Urban Rural

Priština Mitrovica Đakovica Pr izren Uroševac Gnjilane Peć



42

Bih giion in Koovo

Graph 6. Birth non-registration is mostly frequent among members of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptiancommunities (the Graph shows birth non-registration rates among children under 18-years-of-age)

Separate “b area” anasis shows that the birth non-registration rate among members o the Roma,

Ashkai and Egptian communities is the highest in the region o Mitroicë/ Mitroica; a third o

Roma, Ashkai and Egptian chidren (under 18-ears-o-age) in the Abanian maorit part and a th

o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian chidren in the Serb maorit part o this region hae not had their

birth registered. Besides Mitroicë/ Mitroica, high birth non-registration rate o Roma, Ashkai and

Egptian chidren (under 18-ears-o-age) was recorded in the region o Peë/Peć (18%), as we as in

the Abanian-maorit part o the Prishtina/Pristina region (17%). In the Abanian-maorit part o Fer-

iza/Uroseac region it stood at 7% and in the part o Prishtina/Pristina region with the Serb-maorit

it was 5%. Howeer, birth non-registration o Roma, Ashkai and Egptian chidren was er rare or

absent in some regions (Prizren and Gian/Gniane)18 (See Graph 6).

Non-registration o birth o Abanian chidren up to 18-ears-o-age was most common in Prishtina/

Pristina and Feriza/Uroseac regions (13% and 11% respectie), athough it was aso present in theregions o Prizren (4%) and Peë/Peć (3%). Signicant rates o non-registration o birth o Turkish chi-

dren were present in the regions o Prizren and Gian/Gniane and o Bosnian chidren in the region

o Prishtina/Pristina (the high percentage o non-registered Bosnian chidren is caused b their sma

number both in this region and in the sure sampe, which means that 2 out o 4 (50%) interiewed

Bosnians reported not to register their chidren). (See Graph 7).

18 The non-registration rate among Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian children under 5 years o age was the highest in the region

o Mitrovica (48% o Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian children in the Albanian-majority and 8% o Roma, Ashkali, Egyptianchildren in the Serb-majority part o this region have not had their birth registered), as well as in the region o Pristina(8.3% o Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian children in the Albanian-majority and 25% o Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian children in theSerb majority part o this region). Besides, birth non-registration o Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians children under 5-years-o-age was also more requent in the Albanian-majority parts o Prizren (8.3%), Ferizaj/Urosevac (7%) and Pejë/Peć(5%)regions.

5.74 3.33 5.17

14.01

0.243.23 5.30

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Albanian Bosnian Turk Roma,Ashkali,

Egyptian

Serb Bosnian Roma,Ashkali,

Egyptian


%



43

Bih giion in Koovo

4.3. GeNDer aND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOIn Kosoo, emae chidren are more ike than mae chidren not to hae their birth registered.

Howeer, this correation was estabished on in the Abanian-maorit area whie gender was not a

signicant actor in deciding about whether or not to register a chid in the Serb-maorit area.

Whie Turkish amiies aso show a greater tendenc to not register the birth o emae rather than

o mae chidren, this dierence was statistica signicant (among chidren under 18-ears-o-age)

Graph 8 Birth non-registration rate for male and female children in Kosovo

1 3

. 1

0 .

9

0 .

5 4 . 4

1 0

. 7

0 .

5 3 .

3

1 6

. 5

3 3

. 3

0 .

0 1

. 9

6 .

9

1 7

. 9

2 0

. 0

5 .

0

5 0

. 0

0 .

0

0 .

0

0 .

0 3 .

2

0 .

0

0 .

0

9 . 1

0 .

0 4 .

5

0 .

0

0 .

6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Prishtinaregion

Mitrovicaregion

Gjakovaregion

Prizrenregion

Ferizajregion

Gjilanregion

Pejaregion

Mitrovicaregion Prishtinaregion


%

Albanian Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian Bosnian Turk Serb

Priština Mitrovica Đakovica Prizren Uroševac Gnjilane Peć region Mitrovica Priština

4.8

9.1

4.6

6.7

0

2

4

6

8

10

Male Female Male Female


%

Graph 7 Birth non-registration of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian childrenis mostly frequent in the region of Mitrovicë/ Mitrovica (Graph shows birth

non-registration rates among children under 18-years–of-age)



44

Bih giion in Koovo

on among respondents o Abanian ethnicit and (among chidren under 5-ears-o-age) among

members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities (See Graph 9)19

Graph 9. Females are more likely to be unregistered (Graph shows birth non-registration rates among male and female children under 18 years of age)

Simiar, whie there was a higher requenc o unregistered emae than mae chidren both in

urban and rura parts, the on certain concusion was that emae chidren in the urban parts o the

Abanian-maorit area were more ike not to be registered than mae chidren. This suggests that

non-registration o chid births is more common in rura areas and among members o Roma, Ashkai

and Egptian communit, whie in urban areas and among Abanian amiies it appears to be on

extended to emae chidren.

In addition to the aboe-mentioned categories, the trend o more requent non-registration o emae

than mae chidren in the Abanian-maorit area was aso noted among unempoed respondents,

married respondents, amiies with athers who competed our ear o secondar education, ami-

ies with mothers who competed primar or ocationa education, amiies which describe their eco-

nomic status as iing on the erge o poert or being somewhat worse than aerage, amiies with

tota month income o under 400 euros or which do not receie weare.

4.4. eDUCatION aND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVO19 Since statistical signifcance is directly related to the size o (sub)sample, numeric dierence in the percentage o non-

registered emale and male children o Albanian ethnicity (N=2.267) was smaller than the numeric dierence amongmembers o the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian communities (N=439) and children o Turkish ethnicity (N=58)

4.6 7.0 5.70.0

3.17.7

11.416.0

0.5 0.06.7

0.04.3 6.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

M a l e

F e m a l e

Albanian Bosnian Turk Roma,

Ashkali,

Egyptians

Roma,

Ashkali,

Egyptians

Serb Bosnian


%



45

Bih giion in Koovo

These resuts point to a positie correation between parents’ education and birth registration in

Kosoo. Parents who hae attained at east a minimum ee o education are more ike to register

their chidren. In the Abanian maorit area higher educationa attainment o ather and mother infu-enced decisions on birth registration or chidren under 18-ears-o-age. Howeer, or chidren under

5-ears-o-age, on the mother’s ee o education was a signicant actor infuencing decisions to

register a chid’s birth, whereas the ather’s ee o education did not infuence the resuts. In the

Roma, Ashkai and Egptian amiies, it was sucient or the mother and/or the ather to hae com-

peted secondar schoo to increase the ikeihood o birth registration.

4.5. eCONOMIC BaCKGrOUNDaND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOThe economic status o amiies aso correates with non-registration o chidren – with poorer

amiies in both ethnic-maorit areas being more ike not to register the birth o their chidren 20

(equa among the chidren under 18 and among the chidren under 5 ears-o-age) (see Graph 10).

Graph 10. Poorer families are more likely not to register birth of their children (Graph shows birth non- registration rates among children under 18-years–of-age)

The percentage o non-registered chidren among amiies with month income o oer 700 euros

was quite high in both areas, but the number o such househods was sma. The percentages reated

to the number o non-registered chidren rom these amiies must be obsered in ight o that act

– there were e (5) such chidren in the Abanian-maorit area and one (1) such chid in the Serb-

maorit area.

20 Economic status o amilies had been determined in two ways – by looking at the total monthly household income andby allowing respondents to choose the category to which they believed to belong ater comparing their income andproperty with those o other Kosovo households.

1 8 . 0 6

5 . 1 3 7 . 6 0

5 . 2 9

3 . 6 4 8 . 2 0

2 . 7 8

7 . 3 5

2 6 . 3 7

1 6 . 6 7

1 . 3 5

0 . 7 7

4 . 5 5

0 . 0 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

L e s s t h a n 3 0 e u r o

3 0 - 5 0 e u r o

5 1 - 1 0 0 e u r o

1 0 1 - 2 0 0 e u r o

2 0 1 - 3 0 0 e u r o

3 0 1 - 4 0 0 e u r o

4 0 1 - 5 0 0 e u r o

5 0 1 - 6 0 0 e u r o

6 0 1 - 7 0 0 e u r o

M o r e t h a n 7 0 0 e u r o

D K N / D W A

D K N / D W A

L e s s t h a n 3 0 e u r o

3 0 - 5 0 e u r o

5 1 - 1 0 0 e u r o

1 0 1 - 2 0 0 e u r o

2 0 1 - 3 0 0 e u r o

3 0 1 - 4 0 0 e u r o

4 0 1 - 5 0 0 e u r o

5 0 1 - 6 0 0 e u r o

6 0 1 - 7 0 0 e u r o

M o r e t h a n 7 0 0 e u r o


%



46

Bih giion in Koovo

Non-registration o chid births in the Serb-maorit area was the greatest among extreme poor

househods (extreme poert ine is set at 0.93 euros per adut equiaent per da).21

In the Aba-nian-maorit area there were no signicant dierences between extreme poor, poor (poert ine

is set at 1.42 euros per adut equiaent per da) and better-o househods. A itte oer a third o

househods iing beow poert ine in the Abanian-maorit area were receiing weare (39.1%),

whie the percentage o such househods on weare was somewhat higher in the Serb-maorit area

(55.3%). Additiona, 16.8% o househods who ie beow the poert ine in the Abanian-maorit

area and 71.4% o such househods in the Serb-maorit area aso receie assistance rom the Cen-

tre or Socia Work. Howeer, we did not estabish a signicant correation between weare status

o socia unerabe amiies and birth registration.

Graph 11. Monthly income of the families who have not registered their children

4.6. PLaCe OF BIrtH aND BIrtHreGIstratION IN KOsOVOMost chidren up to 18-ears-o-age in both the Abanian- and the Serb-maorit area (92%) were

born in hospitas. Most remaining chidren (5.4% in the Abanian and 6.9% in the Serb maorit area)

were born at home whie on a ew chidren were born in priate hospitas, abroad or somewhere

ese.22 Mothers rom the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities were more ike to deier their

chidren at home, particuar i iing in the Serb-maorit areas (where one in e Roma, Ashkai

21 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTKOSOVO/Country%20Home/20662049/Kosovo_PA_report_fnal-16June2005.pd22 The same trend was registered or children under 5 years o age. However, the number o hospital-born children in this

group was somewhat higher or 95.3% in the Albanian-majority and 91.5% in the Serb-majority area o Kosovo.

22.2

6.4

4.5

7.5

0.0

8.0

17.6

6.2

3.84.5

0.0

6.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

Less

than30

euro

30 -

100

euro

101 -

300

euro

301 -

500

euro

501 -

700

euro

Morethan

Morethan

700euro

Less

than30

euro

30 -

100

euro

101 -

300

euro

301 -

500

euro

501 -

700

euro700euro


%



47

Bih giion in Koovo

and Egptian chidren is born at home. The same is true or one in ten Roma, Ashkai and Egptian

chidren being born in the Abanian-maorit area).

In Kosoo, home-born chidren are more ike than hospita-born chidren not to hae their birth regis-

tered. Howeer, in the Abanian-maorit area the aboe was true on or the members o the Roma,

Ashkai and Egptian communities whie in the Serb-maorit area it was equa true or members

o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian and Serb communities. (See Graph 12)23.

Prior to and during 1990s about 50% o chidren o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities in

Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe had been born at home. The current share o home births in a births b

members o these communities is estimated to be down to 10% (IDI 12).

Graph 12. Home-born children are more likely not to have their birth registered (Graph shows birthnon-registration rates among children under 18-years-of-age; whenever a category is missing in the

table, it implies that the frequency in that category is 0%, or null value )

4.7. PareNts' BIrtH reGIstratIONaND BIrtH reGIstratION IN KOsOVOAs or the infuence o parents’ birth registration on the birth registration o their chidren the on

reiabe concusion was that amiies in which mothers had not and athers had been registered were

more ike than other amiies not to register the birth o their chidren.24

23 The graph represents the rate o non-registered children born in dierent acilities (institutions) (N is more than 10).24 The number o non-registered parents (one or both) was the highest among members o the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian

communities (and they were more likely to be ound in Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians households living in the Serb- ratherthan in the Albanian-majority areas: 7.1% and 16.2% respectively (p < .05)/) However, registration status o parents wasnot a signifcant actor or (non)registration o children in either area.

1.0

5.93.5 5.2

32.1

8.3

3.6

11.1

3.8

11.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Home Maternity Maternity Maternity Maternity Maternity MaternityHome Home Home

Albanian Bosnian Turk Roma, Ashkali,

Egyptian

Roma, Ashkali,

Egyptian

Serb Bosnian


%



48

Bih giion in Koovo

4.8. reasONs FOr NON-reGIstratION OF BIrtHlack o knowedge on the importance o birth registration is the most common reason or birth non-

registration in Kosoo – oer a third o househods with unregistered chidren sa that the had not

registered their chidren because birth certicates are unimportant or their chidren or because the

hae not et needed to register birth o their chidren. The aboe is conrmed b data concerning

ate registration which shows that ate birth registration is done “depending on the need” – most

common once chidren need medica insurance or are about to start with schoo. It is on once

the understand that ate birth registration is a more compicated and ength procedure that the

respondents become read to register their uture chidren on time. Most Kosoo househods with

unregistered chidren cite ‘not knowing whether or not their chid needs birth certicate’ as the main

reason or not incuding their chid into the cii registr, oowed b ‘not haing documents required

rom parents to register their chidren’ (identication card, birth certicate etc.) (19%), ‘ack o know-

edge about birth registration procedure’ (15%) and ‘beie that the procedure is inconenient, that is,

too ength’ (13%).

It is necessar to mention that aong with the most requent answers seera additiona answers

were pointing to the ack o knowedge among participants about the signicance o birth registra-

tion – 7% o participants said that ‘birth certicates were o no importance or their chid’, urther, 5%

said that ‘the hae not registered their chid/chidren because there was no need or that, whie 2%

said that the are ‘waiting unti their chid/chidren reach schoo age to register it/them’. This indicates

that the most common reason or non-registration o births in Kosoo is the ack o knowedge about

adantages/disadantages o registration25.

25 Considering that most households with unregistered children live in the Albanian majority area (92%), while only 8%o such households live in the Serb majority area (mostly members o the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian communities andnearly all o them residing in the region o Mitrovica), the reasons or birth non- registration were not analyzed bydierent ethnic majority areas.

1.0

23.0

15.0

7.06.0

13.0

7.0

19.0

26.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

I d o

n o t k n o w

i t

i s n e e d e d f o r m y

c h i l d ’ s i n t e r e s t s

I / M

y p a r t n e r d o

n o t h a v e t h e

n e c e s s a r y

d o c u m e n t s

I d o n ’ t k n o w

t h e

p r o c e d u r e

N o t p r a c t i c a l /

l e n g t h y

a d m

i n i s t r a t i v e

p r o

c e d u r e

H i g

h c o s t s

i n v

o l v e d

N o t i m p o r t a n t f o r

m y c

h i l d

I t t a k

e s m e a l o n g

w a y f r o m h

o m e

I t ’ s

n o t u s u a l i n

m y

s o c i e t y

S o m e t h i n g e l s e

%



49

Bih giion in Koovo

Graph 13. Reasons for child birth non-registration

There are other signifcant reasons why respondents rom dierent Albanian-majority regions do

not register the birth o their children. Most respondents with unregistered children in the region

o Prishtina/Pristina cited the lack o knowledge about whether or not their child needed a birth

certifcate as the main reason or non-registration (41%), while the most requently cited reason in

the region o Mitrovicë/ Mitrovica was the lack o knowledge about the procedure to obtain a birth

certifcate (40%). Also, answers classifed under “something else” category (neglectul, no time,

etc.) were the most requent in the region o Prizren. Regarding the ethnicity o respondents living

in the Albanian-majority area, members o the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities were more

likely than other respondents not to register their children because o the inconvenience, that is, the

lengthy registration procedure.

4.8.1. ron o l bih giionOne in ten Kosoo househods hae registered the birth o their chidren when chidren were one

month o age or oder. The most requent cited reason or deciding to register the birth o their

chidren was that the chid needed heath care (64%) or that the chid was about to start with schoo

(46.4%).

A smaer number o these respondents said that the ate birth registration was prompted b the

need to access socia benets (support or chid care ) (30.4%) or need or a passport (20.0%). The

summar inormation about reasons behind beated birth registration indicates that a certain num-

ber o Kosoans hae had their birth registered on ater reaching aduthood! A sma number o

househods hae registered their chidren on when chidren needed a birth certicate in order to get

married (6.4%) or to obtain a drier’s icense (4.0%).

Most o the 12.5% o househods in the Abanian-maorit area who beated registered the birth

o their chidren state that the did so because their chidren needed heath care or were about to

start with schoo. Members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities were more ike thanother respondents to beated register the birth o their chidren in order to secure access to socia

benets.

Simiar, most o the househods (5.66%) in the Serb-maorit area who beated registered the

birth o their chidren (most o them iing in the Feriza/Uroseac region) state that the did so be-

cause chidren needed heath insurance or because the needed to access certain socia benets

(66.7%).

The Kosoo househods who registered the birth o their chidren ater the ega deadine (74%) were

now aware that reated procedure was more compicated and more expensie than time birth reg-



51

Bih giion in Koovo

dents rom the Serb-maorit area were more ike to sa that the registered their chid(ren) “so

that the goernment had data” (35% compared to 6% in the Abanian maorit area)

ver ew respondents said that the registered the birth o their chidren so that the chidren coud

get a drier’s icense (7%) or be married (9%).

5. FaCtOrs INFLUeNCINGBIrtH reGIstratIONThere are numerous actors infuencing the birth registration process that can be grouped in the o-

owing categories:

5.1. POLItICaL OBstaCLesKosoo residents o Serb ethnicit rare register the birth o their chidren or app or birth certi-

cates to Kosoo institutions. The register most when the need socia assistance, disabiit as-

sistance, isas etc. Since the register chid birth in parae structures, the Goernment o Kosoo

cannot access the inormation.

The preious Kosoo goernment did not recognize cii status registration as a priorit issue and had

thus not gien it sucient attention.

In 1990 Kosoo Abanians were expeed rom their obs in pubic serice. From that moment on

Kosoo Abanians were restrained rom using the cii status registration sstem due to proceduras

faws. When the United Nations began administrating Kosoo in 1999 – enabing the estabishment

o the Proisiona Institutions or Se-Goernment – genera trust in pubic administration was not

considered an issue. Kosoo citizens accepted the new pubic administration without hesitation and

their perception o cii serice compete changed. But the absence o persona identication docu-



52

Bih giion in Koovo

ments and the ack o tradition in organizing pubic administration continued to be a probem. This is

wh much time was needed to estabish unctiona pubic administration.

5.2. aDMINIstratIVe OBstaCLesThe ack o orma written instructions has ed municipa bodies to adopt a rigid approach to cii

status registration. There has aso been inconsistenc in the use o sotwares to store the data in

dierent municipaities. Whie that is not a probem at the oca ee, probems can easi arise when

dierent sotwares are used to send inormation at the centra ee. This compicates the integration

o database.

Other probems incude inadequate impementation o prescribed administratie procedures and

absence o ega remedies or persons reected or registration.

Specia re-registration and ate registration bodies were estabished in a municipaities to aciitate

birth registration o citizens without aid identication documents; howeer, these bodies did not

adopt a consistent approach which ed to inecienc.

Meanwhie, the centra authorities hae aied to proide cear instructions to reeant municipa bod-

ies about the dierence between ate registration and registration o chidren born at home.

Furthermore, the cii status registration oces hae deaed making decisions on registration ap-

pications which require a specia reiew.

The current aw does not recognize the practice o accepting a statement b two witnesses as ei-

dence or cii status registration whereas it was accepted b cii status registration oces in cases

when appicants were otherwise unabe to proe their identit. No standards were deeoped or

this procedure and municipa cii status registration ocers were not instructed on how to app it

to the birth registration process.

5.3. eCONOMIC OBstaCLesThere is insucient budgetar unding aocated b the Kosoo Goernment or deeoping and in-

staing sotware and inormation technoogies to ink and communicate between cii status registr

oces at municipa and centra ees.

The Pubic Administration Reorm Proect initiated b the Ministr o Pubic Serices incuded pans

or centraized coection o cii status data. Howeer, it was impossibe to successu meet a the

proect obecties due to imited budgetar unding. One o the proect’s main obecties was to ink

the cii status registration oce in the hospita in Prishtinë/Priština with the one in the municipait

o Prishtinë/Priština, as we as to estabish eectronic communication between maternit hospitas

and municipa cii status registration oces in a Kosoo municipaities.



53

Bih giion in Koovo

In order to improe their work, municipa cii status registration oces require more unding rom

municipa authorities. Financia constraints and ack o goernment unding preented some munici-pa registr oces rom competing the reconstruction o cii status registers. Due to a ack o nan-

cia means and technica equipment some municipaities were unabe to insta sotware or persona

data gathering and issuance o certicates. Beside this, in some municipaities hardware proided b

the Ministr o Pubic Serices is not o sucient quait to enabe the instaation o the Ministr o

Interna Aairs sotware in order to proide centraized, eectronic cii status registers.27

In some cases Kosoo residents aoid birth registration o their chidren because registration is pos-

sibe on in the municipaities o birth, which exposes them to additiona nancia and administratie

burden.

5.4. GeOGraPHIC OBstaCLesThe trae distance to the birth registration oce is one o the actors that can aso infuence birth

registration. Sure resuts suggest that distance to the birth registration oce is not a primar

cause o non-registration – aerage distance or respondents rom the Serb-maorit area is greater

than the one or Abanian-maorit area respondents. This is not proportiona to birth registration

rate in these areas, since birth non-registration rate is much higher within the Abanian-maorit

area. Howeer, i there are other reasons (such as economica, poitica and other barriers) or non-

registration, distance has a certain roe.

Cii status registr oces estabished ed departments or issuance o cii registr certicates in

order to enabe the popuation to obtain certicates rom the nearest ocation to their home. These

ed departments existed prior to 1999 and their work was re-initiated in 2003 under the auspices o

the Department o loca Administration o the Ministr o Pubic Serices. Howeer, the capacit o

these ed departments (184 in tota) oten does not correspond to the size o the popuation the

sere and the can on issue a imited number o birth certicates. Moreoer, these oces issue

birth certicates on or births occured prior to 1999 (as part o the cii status registr book recon-

struction process), and home-births ater 1999.

Man rst-time mothers and women with compicated pregnancies are adised to gie birth to their

chidren in the Hospita in Prishtina/Pristina. When such mothers are rom distant and rura com-

munities, the ater ace the probem o haing to trae to Prishtina/Pristina eer time the need

their chid’s birth certicate. Eer appication that needs to identi cii status and access to a right

requires the presentation and deier o the origina cop o the birth certicate. Hence, or each

appication, an origina cop is required. Moreoer, a birth certicate is considered aid on i it is

issued six months prior to the date o appication.

27 See ootnote n.2. The Government has now initiated a process o standardization and unifcation o the sotwares the-reore these problems should be addressed and solved.



54

Bih giion in Koovo

5.5. LeGIsLatIVe OBstaCLesKosoo has had to set up a new sstem o cii registration since 1999. Understandab the egisa-

tie area has been chaenging.

The law on Cii Status Registers and the law on Fami reguate Birth registration in Kosoo; how-

eer there hae been cases where there hae been an inadequate and inconsistent enorcement and

impementation o those laws. In order to improe the enorcement o these aws, administratie

instructions wi need to be promugated. One such instruction coud be or the estabishment o a

commission to dea with cii status registration appications.

Carication is aso needed as municipa bodies are reuctant to register persons oer 18 ears o

age who had been outside Kosoo and are reerring their cases or consideration and decision b the

Ministr o Interna Aairs. Meanwhie Artice 3.3 o the law on Cii Status Registers cear pre-

scribes that “acts and inormation reated to births, marriages and deaths o the citizens o Kosoo

which occurred outside the Kosoo territor sha be registered on at the Municipa Cii Status

Registration Oce where the interested part ies”.

The ega ramework reguating birth registration has recent eoed, with the recent passing o the

law o Citizenship, which wi hep tacke the probems with new soutions. This aw oresees the

right o a chidren who are born within Kosoo to register in the cii registr books no matter the

permanent settement o their parents.

With the approa o the Kosoo Constitution and the promugation o the law on Citizenship, the

law on Cii Status shoud come into orce. The law on Cii Status wi aciitate the use o wit-

nesses in birth registration o a inhabitants who ack the required documents.

There is urther need to acceerate the drating and passing o the:

Cii Status law (oer the past coupe o ears, the aw has been moing back and orth•

between dierent stakehoders), which sha precise reguate the birth registration proce-

dures and distribute authorit between dierent ees o goernment.

law on Persona Name – this aw sha reguate procedure or change and correction o the•

name.

law on Persona Identication Number – this aw sha enabe centraized data coection o•

a births registered in Kosoo and preent dua birth registrations.

Residenc law – this aw sha gie the right to chidren born in other countries to register as•

Kosoo citizens based on their parents’ residence status.

5.6. aWareNess raIsING aCtIVItIesThe ow ee o awareness about the importance and the procedures o birth and cii status regis-

tration, both among genera pubic and in pubic administration, is another probem.



55

Bih giion in Koovo

In 2002, the Statistica Oce o Kosoo, in cooperation with the Oce or Cii Status Registration,

initiated a arge-scae inormation campaign about the necessit and adantages o birth registra-

tion. The campaign incuded three dierent posters, each proiding inormation about registrationo a dierent ita eent: name birth, marriage and death. Posters – which were printed in ocia

anguages o dierent ethnic communities – were put up in cities throughout Kosoo. The posters

are sti dispaed in municipa cii status registration oces around Kosoo.

Cii Rights Program Kosoo (CRP/K) is a oca non-goernmenta organization which proides ree-

ant inormation to members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities and assists them with

cii status and cii registration (obtaining IDs and trae documents). The organization is supported

b the UNHCR and the U.S. Bureau o Popuation, Reugees and Migration.

The Union o Parent-Teacher Associations o Kosoo is a non-goernmenta organization working

to preent emae members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities rom dropping out o

schoo. Together with the Ministr o Education, Science and Technoog, UNICEF and Cathoic Reie

Serice the pubished a brochure about preention o schoo dropouts in this communit. The bro-

chure incudes inormation about the importance o and the procedure or birth registration.

In 2006, the Oce o the Prime Minister o Kosoo deeoped a Strateg or Cii Registration o

members o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communit. The Strateg aims to create conditions or

registration o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities in the cii status registr books and to

proide them with persona identication cards. The strateg encouraged administratie authorities

to aciitate integration o the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities in their respectie sstems.

loca authorities used this strateg as a basis or deeoping and agreeing on memorandums o

understanding with reeant stakehoders to aciitate Roma, Ashkai and Egptian communities to

obtain documents issued b municipa authorities ree o charge.

Inoement o the Kosoo media in actiities to increase pubic awareness on the importance o

birth registration has been actie. Pubic broadcasting serice proided ree air time or inormation

about communit initiaties. As part o this initiatie, a documentar on cii registration produced b

CRP/K was broadcast ree o charge.

Based on sure resuts, parent o both registered and non-registered chidren stressed the same

necessar measures to improe the rate o birth registration:

Better access to inormation about registration procedures;•

Simpiing registration procedures;•

Proiding registration ree-o-charge;•

Charging nes or birth non-registration.•

Thereore, in spite o the numerous proects aimed at awareness raising aboe presented, resuts o

the sure suggests there is a need to continue these actiities – 14% o sure respondents that



56

Bih giion in Koovo

haen’t registered their chidren are not amiiar with the institution where birth registration takes

pace.

Since the sure resuts show that the maorit o inormation reated to birth registration are re-

ceied rom ami members, riends and other inorma sources or medica/hospita centres empo-

ees (doctors, nurses, etc), media campaigns are not sucient or raising awareness about the birth

registration issue. Good practice rom the Hospita in Prishtina/Pristina (bookets, eafets containing

necessar inormation about birth registration) shoud be extended to other Kosoo hospitas and

dispensaries.

Aso, since on one-third o respondents were amiiar with importance/adantages o haing a

birth certicate, urther awareness raising actiities and campaigns shoud be based on inormation-

reated to the consequences o birth registration/non-registration rather than the procedures or birth

certicate issuance.

Most o the sure respondents beieed that no ega measures coud be taken against parents/

guardians who had aied to register chidbirth. The maorit o respondents who didn’t register their

chidren said that the were not pressured b the authorities to register them. Parents shoud be

aware that time registration is much easier and cheaper than ate registration, which is a rather

compicated process. In order to emphasize this, parents shoud be inormed about the benets o

time birth registration and the negatie consequences o ate birth registration or non-registration.



57

Bih giion in Koovo

6. reCOMMeNDatIONs

aND sUGGestIONs FOrFUtUre PrOjeCts aND POLICIes

1.7. reCOMMeNDatIONsIn order to respond to the probems o birth registration the oowing recommendations shoud be

impemented in order to contribute to a more eectie birth registration procedure and to enabe

Kosoo citizens to exercise uniersa guaranteed rights.

adop Nw Lgilion nd implmn xiing gulion

- Enorce and impement the current law reguating the birth registration process: name the law

on Cii Status Registers, the law on Fami and the recent approed law on Citizenship.

- Acceerate the drating o other aws (particuar the Cii Status law, the law on Persona Name,

the law on Persona Identication Number and the Residenc law) which are meant to hep simpi

and shorten the birth registration procedures and improe citizens access to cii status registr o-

ces.

eblih n fcin civil u giion m, boh locl nd cnl lvl28

The u integration o the centraized database appication must be diided into seera phases, each

consisting o important steps toward improing the methodoog o the eectronic data coection.

Current there are at east three database appications being used b the cii status registers o-

ces, thereore, it is imperatie that the unication o database appications occur in order to prepare

the ground or a urther incusion o a data into a singe, centraized data set. To achiee that goa

there wi be need to:

28 See Footnote n.2



59

Bih giion in Koovo

- Estabish mobie units to raise-awareness more thorough in those same municipaities.

simpli giion pocduSome procedures to register births hae preented citizens rom accessing the birth registration

serice.

The act that the birth certicate is issued based on where the birth occurred, rather than on the ap-

picant’s pace o residence, causes probems. Issuing the birth certicate based on dweing, rather

than birth pace ma simpi the procedures and make birth registration more accessibe to Koso-

ans as it woud reduce the cost o trae to other municipaities and woud reduce the tota costs o

birth registration procedure.

Aso the use o witnesses as a ega orm o recording data during birth registration causes probems.

At the moment there is no ocia aw imposing the appication or the prohibition o the use o wit-

nesses thereore cii status registr ocias hae made an inconsistent use o them in the past.

The drat law on Cii status that shoud soon be approed is meant to ega reguate the use o

witnesses; aciitating ocias to proceed more easi with the birth registration process engaging

them. It woud great hep or this aw to be approed soon.

Furthermore, since one-th o sure’s respondents said that the didn’t hae sucient inormation

about birth registration requirements ater the rst isit to the birth registration oce, it is recom-

mended to prepare a ist o requirements – precise inormation about documents and paces the

can obtain (written inormation on board or eafets) instead o ora expanation gien b cerks in

registration oces.

Incenties and amnest or ate ees and penaties shoud be created to encourage most unerabe

sectors o the popuation to register their chidren.

Fument o these tasks woud contribute to improed socia securit in Kosoo and create condi-

tions or proiding chidren with their right to identit and access to basic pubic serices.

.



61

Bih giion in Koovo

Mhod o inviwing

The sure was conducted using ace-to-ace interiews. According to specic guideines interiew-ers were instructed to go to random seected addresses to conduct interiews (Random Wak Tec-

nique) and to identi and seect indiidua househod members with whom to conduct interiews

(parent, grandparent or guardian/caretaker).

Quionni ucu nd dign

Prism Research deeoped the questionnaire in cose cooperation with UNICEF sta.

smpling mhodolog nd pocdu

A three-phase stratied random sampe was designed or the purposes o this sure. Care was tak-

en to ensure that a set parameters o the sampe were satised: b ethnic-maorit area (Abanian-

and Serb-maorit areas), regions, and settement tpe (urban / rura). Interiews were conducted

in a the municipaities in each o the regions. The number o interiews per each municipait was

determined on the basis o the municipa popuation (number o registered oters in each municipa-

it). Consequent, ewer interiews were conducted in municipaities with smaer popuations and

more in municipaities with arger popuations.

Athough the sampe was initia designed on the basis o the KFOR administratie and territoria di-

ision (UK KFOR – Prishtina/Pristina, French KFOR – Mitroicë/ Mitroica, US KFOR – Gian/Gniane,

German KFOR – Prizren and Itaian KFOR – Peë/Peč in the Abanian-maorit area, as we as North

–, Mitroicë/ Mitroica, Centre – Fushë Kosoë/Kosoo Poe and Graçanicë/Gracanica, East – Noo

Bërd/Noo Brdo and Kamenicë/Kamenica, and South – Shtrpcë/Strpce) these municipaities were

regrouped into administartie regions deeoped b the Statistica Oce o Kosoo.

As preious mentioned, grouping o the municipaities into regions refect the deision deeoped

b Statistica Oce o Kosoo, and the sampe per municipait is drawn rom the cii registr

obtained b the OSCE. Despite the act that the resuts were anazed to group municipaities b“new” PISG regions (Prishtina/Pristina, Mitroicë/ Mitroica, Gakoo/Dakoica, Prizren, Feriza/Uro-

seac, Gian/Gniane and Peë/Peč regions), the aboe shoud make the sampe representatie both

at the municipa ee and at the ee o “new” regions.

It is aso important to mention that the minorit groups (particuar the Roma, Ashkai and Egptian

communit) are oerrepresented in the sampe. This made possibe to reach concusions about di-

erent practices o (non) registration o chid births among dierent ethnic groups in Kosoo. Had

a dierent approach been used, it woud hae been much more dicut to proe the dierences

between dierent ethnic groups.



62

Bih giion in Koovo

Min chciic o h mpl

The sure was conducted on a sampe o 1,145 participants whose househods incude chidrenunder 7-ears–o-age and who proided inormation or eer chid rom their househod (ounger

than 18 ears). Thus the resuts had been anazed in two was: “b househods” and “b chidren.”

The tota number o respondents in the “b househods” anases was N=1,145 meaning that the

househod was the main unit o anasis.

The tota number o respondents in the “b chidren” anases was N=2,883 or the tota number o

chidren in sureed househods.

The report aso incudes basic inormation about registration o chidren under 5-ears-o-age (59

months) – in which case the tota number o respondents was 1,457 (which is the tota number o

chidren under 5-ears-o-age in sureed househods).

Table 1. Main characteristics of the sample by households

Abanian-Maorit Area Serb-Maorit Area

Area 880 76.9 265 23.1

TOTAL 1145

Area


N % N %

Region Prishtina/Pristina region 220 25.0 50 18.9

Mitroicë/ Mitroica region 115 13.1 141 53.2

Gakoa/Dakoica region 90 10.2

Prizren region 170 19.3

Feriza/Uroseac region 95 10.8 60 22.6

Gian/Gniane region 90 10.2 14 5.3

Peë/Peć region 100 11.4

Ethnic

groups

Abanian 729 82.8

Serb 200 75.5

Bosnian 25 2.8 14 5.3

Turk 28 3.2

Roma, Ashkai and Egptian 96 10.9 43 16.2

Other 2 0.2 8 3.0

Workingstatus

yes 263 29.9 130 49.1

No 617 70.1 132 49.8

DK/DWA 3 1.1



63

Bih giion in Koovo

Education No schoo 31 3.5 36 13.6

1-4 ears o primar education 50 5.7 4 1.5

5-8 ears o primar education 280 31.8 18 6.8

3 ears o high schoo, crat 76 8.6 19 7.2

Competed high schoo - 4 ears 340 38.6 134 50.6

Adanced schoo - 2 ears 60 6.8 25 9.4

Uniersit competed 36 4.1 26 9.8

Postgraduate degree – Mr. PhD 2 0.2 2 0.8

Something ese 2 0.2

DK/DWA 3 0.3 1 0.4

Income less than 30 euros 26 3.0 11 4.2

30 - 50 euros 71 8.1 5 1.9

51 - 100 euros 140 15.9 28 10.6

101 - 200 euros 218 24.8 35 13.2

201 - 300 euros 199 22.6 57 21.5

301 - 400 euros 96 10.9 43 16.2

401 - 500 euros 50 5.7 32 12.1

501 - 600 euros 7 0.8 16 6.0

601 - 700 euros 12 1.4 13 4.9

More than 700 euros 27 3.1 10 3.8

DK/DWA 34 3.9 15 5.7

Table 2. Main characteristics of the sample by children up to 18 years of age


Area 2276 78.9 607 21.1

TOTAL 2883

Area


N % N %


Mitroicë/ Mitroica region 283 12.4 341 56.2








64

Bih giion in Koovo

Ethnicgroups

Abanian 1847 81.2

Serb 421 69.4

Bosnian 60 2.6 31 5.1

Turk 58 2.5


Other 4 0.2 23 3.8

Gender Mae 1160 51.0 300 49.4

Femae 1116 49.0 307 50.6

Age of

children

0 26 1.1 15 2.5

1 174 7.6 58 9.6

2 223 9.8 74 12.2

3 227 10.0 70 11.5

4 237 10.4 63 10.4

5 228 10.0 62 10.2

6 267 11.7 65 10.7

7 131 5.8 29 4.8

8 124 5.4 31 5.1

9 121 5.3 26 4.3

10 103 4.5 36 5.9

11 71 3.1 21 3.5

12 82 3.6 23 3.8

13 65 2.9 10 1.6

14 57 2.5 7 1.2

15 49 2.2 7 1.2

16 43 1.9 6 1.0

17 43 1.9 4 0.7

18 5 0.2

Table 3. Main characteristics of the sample by children up to 5 years of age Abanian-Maorit Area Serb-Maorit Area

Area 1115 76.5 342 23.5

TOTAL 1457

Area


N % N %



65

Bih giion in Koovo


Mitroicë/Mitroica region 148 13.3 200 58.5






Ethnic groups Abanian 892 80.0

Serb 230 67.3

Bosnian 34 3.0 18 5.3

Turk 32 2.9


Other 11 3.2

Gender Mae 583 52.3 184 53.8

Femae 532 47.7 158 46.2

Age ofchildren

0 26 2.3 15 4.4

1 174 15.6 58 17.0

2 223 20.0 74 21.6

3 227 20.4 70 20.5

4 237 21.3 63 18.4

228 20.4 62 18.1

Inviw nd inviw pocdu

The ed team or this research incuded e regiona coordinators, 30 interiewers, our ed contro-

ers and one teephone controer. The had been seected on the basis o their skis, preious experi-

ence, age, gender and regiona origin in order to ensure equa opportunities/ represent the diersied

composition o the popuation. Coordinator and interiewers participated in a ew hour-ong training

session that coered the detaied samping procedures, interiewing, question-b-question anases

and a roe pa exercise.

The opinion po began on 12 December 2007 and was competed on 25 januar 2008. Ater reach-

ing appropriate househods and identiing appropriate respondents, interiewers introduced them-

sees, Prism Research Agenc and proided a brie description o the research aims and goas. Ater

that, the inormed the respondents about the interiewing procedure and began the interiew.

Interiewers read the questions rom a questionnaire on which the aso recorded the answers.

Whie conducting the opinion po, interiewers did not encounter an maor probems in terms o the

wiingness o the popuation to participate, especia ater the participants had been brieed about

the purpose o the po. Thus, the response rate (the percentage o respondents who competed the



66

Bih giion in Koovo

sure on the tota number o contacted potentia or aaiabe respondents) stands at 73.73% mak-

ing the sampe high representatie o birth registration rates reait in Kosoo.

The tabe beow contains inormation rom the contact sheets reated to the outcome o contact

achieed b the interiewers with the respondents.

OUTCOME N %

1 1145 73.73

2 111 7.15

3 28 1.80

4 91 5.86

5 21 1.35

6 28 1.80

7 12 0.77

8 117 7.53

Total 1553 100

It is necessar to mention that the opinion po aone has had a positie impact, that is, that the ques-

tionnaire was designed in such a wa to increase participants’ awareness about importance o birth

registration and aso to proide them with inormation about the reated procedures. The maorit o

respondents who beated registered the birth o their chidren said the woud register their uture

chidren in time ater being inormed – during the interiew – that time registration is cheaper and

ess compicated.

D conol

As mentioned aboe, each interiewer had to conduct at east one interiew with or without the

attendance o a coordinator. The work o interiewers had been controed in two was: once thesure had been competed, controers started with ed work to check on the basis o inormation

proided in the contact and contro sheets i the interiewer had oowed the rues o samping, as

we as his/her approach and behaiour during the interiew. Aso, during the conducting o the ed

work regiona coordinators checked each competed questionnaire upon submission to minimize the

ikeihood o incorrect competed questionnaires or sstematic interiewer errors going unchecked.

Besides, the chie data gathering coordinator conducted some contros b phone rom the Prism

Research centra oce.

D pocing & nli

The compete data entr was conducted in Prism’s oce in Prishtina/Pristina. A specia mask rom

the Sure Sstem sotware program was used or data entr.

Table 4. Review of the contact outcomes

1 - Interiews competed;

2 - Househod-ee reusa, interiew reused b the

person who opened the door;

3 - Reusa b the househod member seected or

the interiew;

4 - Nobod answered the doorbe or knocking;

5 - Interiewer made two isits but aied to nd the

househoder seected or the interiew at home;

6 - Other reasons;

7 - Business aciit, restaurant/bar, a goernment or-

ganization or agenc;

8 - Househod not eigibe to participate in the sure.



67

Bih giion in Koovo

Ater entr, the data was transerred and anazed with the SPSS program (Sotware Program or So-

cia Sciences) – a proessiona sotware package or pubic opinion sures. SPSS was aso used or

data cearing and ogica contro, as we as or cross tabuar presentation o resuts. Data processing,anasis and report writing was aciitated b Prism research’s centra oce in Saraeo.

It shoud be noted that on statistica signicant dierences between compared ariabes are men-

tioned, where the statistica signicant dierence impies a dierence with which the probabiit

o it haing been obtained accidenta is 5% or ess than 5%, i.e. i p ≤ 0,05. I a dierence with a

higher probabiit is mentioned in the report, it is accompanied b a corresponding note.

Qualitative research

Using ocus groups and interiews we gained insight into the compete background o opinions

and attitudes, reasons, motiations o the target groups reating to the issue being researched. In

addition, the in-depth interiews were an eectie wa to test some o the initia hpothesis and

assumptions.

Pim d collcion mhod

A tota o 33 in-depth interiews were conducted. Interiews were conducted with the oowing

categories o respondents: Parents who had not registered their chid, and other stakehoders that

were engaged in this process (goernment representaties engaged in the cii status and cii reg-

istr sector, municipa ocia in the cii status registr oce, empoers o the Centres or Socia

Work, hospita ocias, non-goernment ocias impementing proects that are reated to birth

registration, etc.)

skhold inviwd h cnl lvl

1. Ministr o Interna Aairs, Department or Registration and Cii status (Diision or Cii Status)

2. Ministr o Interna Aairs, Department or Registration and Cii Status (Diision o Cii Registra-

tion)

3. Ministr o Work and Socia Weare, Department or Socia Serices, Sector or Socia Care

4. Ministr o Work and Socia Weare, Department or Socia Serices, Sector or Chid Protection5. Ministr o Interna Aairs, Department or ID Production

6. UNMIK, Centra Cii Registr

7. Union o Parents and Teachers Associations o Kosoo

8. Ministr o Education, Primar Schoo Units

9. Ministr o Interna Aairs, Kosoo Poice Serice

10. Ministr o Heath, Pubic Heath Diision

11. Prime Ministers oce, Oce o Good Goernance

12. Ministr o Pubic Serice, Statistica Oce o Kosoo

13. Ministr o Work and Socia Weare, Department or Socia Assistance



68

Bih giion in Koovo

skhold inviwd h locl lvl

1. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Prishtina/Pristina:

2. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Mitroica3. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe

4. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Prizren

5. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Gakoa/Dakoica

6. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Registration in Prishtina/Pristina

7. MIA - Municipa Oce or Cii Status in Hospita in Prishtina/Pristina

8. Ministr o Heath, Hospita in Prishtina/Pristina

9. Ministr o Heath, Gakoo/Dakoica Hospita

10. Ministr o Education, Regiona Inspector Unit, Mitroica

11. Ministr o Work and Socia Weare, Center or Socia Work, Mitroica

12. Association o Parents and Teacher, Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe

13. Municipait, Oce or Communities, Prizren

An additiona seen interiews were hed with parents o non-registered chidren rom: Obiiq/Obiic,

Obiiq/Obiic, Shtime/Stime (2 interiews), Poduee/Podueo, Rahoec/Orahoac and Prishtina/

Pristina.

Li o inviw d in po

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Prishtina/Pristina1.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Mitroicë/Mitroica2.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Fushë Kosoë/Kosoo Poe3.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Prizren4.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Gakoo/Ðakoica5.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Centra ee6.

Ministr o Interna Aairs – Cii Status Registr Oce, Prishtina/Pristina Hospita7.

Ministr o Heath – centra ee8.

Ministr o Heath – Hospita Gakoo/Ðakoica9.

Ministr o labour and Socia Weare10.

Ministr o labour and Socia Weare11.Association o Parents and Teachers – Fushë Kosoë/Kosoo Poe.12.

Ministr o Education13.

Association o Parents and Teachers – centra ee14.

Parents o non-registered chidren15.

rcuimn

Recruitment o respondents or in-depth interiews was based on the oowing maor criteria:

Geographica distribution – incuding coerage o a maor geographic regions, minimum•

two, one or each ethnic maorit areas.

Number o ocations – In consutation with UNICEF, nine Kosoo municipaities were seect-•

ed where quaitatie research was conducted, name Prishtina/Pristina, Mitroicë/Mitroica,



69

Bih giion in Koovo

Fushe Kosoe/Kosoo Poe, Prizren and Gakoa/Dakoica or IDI’s with stakehoders, and

Obiiq/Obiic, Shtime/Stime, Poduee/Podueo, Rahoec/Orahoac, Prishtina/Pristina and

Mitroicë/Mitroica or IDI’s with parents o non-registered chidren.Ke stakehoders and target groups: (1) Genera popuation - Parents who had not registered•

their chid(ren), and (2) Reeant stakehoders - ke goernment institutions; at both centra

and oca ee, non-goernmenta organizations engaged in proects that are reated to birth

registration, etc.

Dicuion Guid

Prism Research deeoped a Discussion Guide or in-depth interiews in consutation with UNICEF.

D pocing & nli

In-depth interiews were conducted b we-trained Prism Research moderators. The interiews

were conducted at easi accessibe and comortabe ocations. The were audio recorded or the

purpose o making transcripts on which a part o this report is based, or notes were taken actie

wheneer respondents were not wiing to hae the interiew tape-recorded.



70

Bih giion in Koovo

aNNeX 2

WOrKsHOP ON BIrtH reGIstratION:FUrtHer reCOMMeNDatIONs

On 11 Noember, UNICEF organized a workshop with the aim to present the ke ndings o UNI-

CEF’s drat research on Birth Registration in Kosoo and to bring together the main stakehoders

inoed in the Cii Status Registration sstem.

UNICEF aciitated the workshop to proide space or additiona discussions in order to naize the

report incusie o what the Goernment Institutions at centra and municipa ee, the Cii Societ

identi as probems and soutions in reation to Birth Registration.

Thereore, buiding on the existing recommendations aread presented in this report, experts and

reeant stakehoders hae identied additiona measures to address current gaps in the birth regis-

tration process.

Here we ist some o the main points presented and discussed in the workshop.

• TrainingandCapacityDevelopmentofCivilStatusRegistrationOfcers

Municipa Cii Status Ocers wi need to undertake training on chidren’s human rights, the wiaso need continuous orientation on the Kosoo updated egisation and budget panning. Municipa

Cii Status Ocers aso require an on-the-ob training which wi be oowed b accredited certica-

tion process that wi aidate their capacities to work in the cii status registration sstem.

The trainings shoud be organized b regions, and impemented in seera phases oer one ear

Ministr o Interna Aairs wi deeop an action pan or knowedge management incuding b orga-

nizing trainings, round tabes, workshops and stud isits.

• Citizensaccesstoinformationaboutbirthregistration

Municipa authorities and NGOs wi support the organization o awareness raising actiities at the

communit ee and among parents about the adantages that birth registration brings to their



71

Bih giion in Koovo

chidren and about the birth registration procedures. The specia ocus o the awareness raising cam-

paigns wi be parents with ower ee o education and ess access to pubic serices.

Reigious and communit eaders wi assume signicant roes in raising awareness among the popu-ation and parents about birth registration. These eaders shoud be inoed in and be actie partici-

pants o the aboe mentioned roundtabes.

Socia mobiization actiities shoud start as soon as possibe and continue unti eidence shows

increased rates o birth registration.

Municipaities shoud deeop Strategies or inormation, mutimedia campaigns, reguar meetings

with parents, print and disseminate appropriate materias through schoos, and heath institutions.

Organize outreach mobie promotion units and nancia support to the most unerabe amiies. A

muti-sectora working group wi be estabished in order to deeop a monitoring and eauation pan

to assess the impact o the communit mobiization actiities.

•1 Improement o the administratie sstem ocusing on a} addressing gaps in the regua-

tions and inconsistencies in procedures regarding birth registration and b}user riend serices.

a} Administratie instructions wi reguate dicut cases (ate registration, use o witnesses, home

births, etc.) unti the law reguating Birth Registration wi be endorsed and enorced. Once the law

on Birth Registration is endorsed, the entire egisatie ramework aecting birth registration incud-

ing the drat law on Cii Status, the law on Citizenship, and other reeant aws wi be reiewed.

Adequate administratie subsidiar acts wi be deeoped to set up standard procedures or Cii

Status Registration Oces a oer Kosoo. This shoud inoe an Inter – Goernmenta eort or aperiod o one ear.

b} Assess the ega and practica easibiit o deoing a set o birth registration responsibiities and

competencies to the owest ee o municipa oces (Bashkesite okae/Mesna zaednica)32. These

competencies coud inoe issuing, signing and stamping the birth registration certicates, which

woud aciitate easier access to birth registration serices or peope iing in remote areas.

- Improe working conditions in terms o oce equipment and ogistics or cii status ocers.

- Kosoo-wide training o heath proessionas on birth registration procedures at the hospita/mater-

nit wards where chidren are born, which is the current practice o the Obstetric Gnecoogic Cinic

o Prishtinë/ Priština

- The current egisatie ramework wi be amended to reguate mobie teams to reach unerabe

peope and/or peope iing in remote areas. On the same ine, Ministr o Interna Aairs wi de-

eop protocos and standards.

Ministr o Interna Aairs wi be the main accountabe actor to impement the aboe mentioned

recommendations; howeer this shoud be done in cose cooperation with reeant ministries such

as Ministr o Heath, Ministr o Pubic Serices, Ministr o loca Goernance, Ministr o labour

and Socia Weare, Statistica Oce o Kosoo.

31 Analyse EU good practice on birth registration services