UNICEF Cameroon in one accord with the Cameroon National Olympics and Sports Committee (CNOSC) advocates for the official birth registration of all children during the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

The 21^st edition of the Commonwealth Games to hold from April 4-15, will comprise 6600 athletes and team officials from 70 Commonwealth nations with 67 athletes representing Cameroon. UNICEF Cameroon would cease this opportunity to intensify advocacy in favour of every child’s right to be registered at birth without discrimination.

The recording of children’s birth by the government establishes the existence of the child under law and provides the foundation for safeguarding many of the child's civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Apart from being the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence, birth registration is central to ensuring that children are counted and have access to basic services such as health, social security and education. Also, knowing the age of a child is central to protecting them from child labour, being arrested and treated as adults in the justice system, forcible conscription in armed forces, child marriage, trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Bringing the plight of millions of ‘invisible’ children into focus is a priority in UNICEF’s strategic actions geared towards strengthening national child protection systems in order to reduce the obstacles of registering every child at birth.

The launching ceremony of activities by the Cameroon Commonwealth Games Committee this Friday at the CNOSC Head Office in Bastos, will constitute the opening act of UNICEF Cameroon’s advocacy campaign For every child a birth certificate.