COTABATO CITY (May 29, 2024) – The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) held a policy forum on childhood statelessness and birth registration with relevant institutions and organizations to discuss the critical issue of childhood statelessness and the importance of birth registration in the region.
Held on May 28 in Cotabato City, the forum gathered representatives from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Ministry of Social Services and Development of BARMM (MSSD-BARMM), the Philippine Statistics Authority of BARMM (PSA BARMM), local government units (LGUs), and youth-accredited organizations across the BARMM region.
BYC Chairperson Marjanie Macasalong reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to this cause.
“The Bangsamoro Youth Commission is firmly committed to advocating for the rights of all youth, including those who are stateless. Our mission in this matter is to ensure that every youth in BARMM is given the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their legal status,” Macasalong stated.
Last year, BYC and UNICEF launched youth-led initiatives dubbed “Youth-led Action on Ending Childhood Statelessness in BARMM” to address low birth registration rates in Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. The project called for youth organizations throughout the region to implement community-based awareness campaigns to promote birth registrations and collect birth registration records.
UNICEF Education Specialist Roger Masapol highlighted the ongoing collaborative efforts between the commission and UNICEF in effectively addressing the challenges faced by stateless children in the region.
The forum provided a platform for four youth-accredited organizations to present their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments in implementing birth registration campaigns. It also enabled these organizations to introduce their crafted policies aimed addressing statelessness into the discourse, with these policies set to become the backbone of their advocacy efforts within the Bangsamoro Youth Commission.
Moreover, Ms. Arbaine Guiabar, Child and Youth Focal of MSSD, shared the ministry’s institutional efforts in addressing childhood statelessness in BARMM. Ms. Aeriel Ann Gonzales, Protection Associate of UNHCR Philippines, discussed best practices and UNHCR’s efforts regarding childhood statelessness. Engr. Akan Tula, Regional Director of PSA-BARMM, presented the civil registration and vital statistics of the region.
Meanwhile, UNHCR Head of National Office Atty. Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo emphasized the vital role of youth in combating statelessness and how such initiatives offer them opportunities to raise awareness and advocate for policies in their communities.
LGUs from Maguindanao, Basilan, and Sulu were also present and committed to strengthening local efforts in birth registration and statelessness prevention, ensuring that all youth in their jurisdictions have a legal identity. (BYC PR Unit/SAMN)
