Kathmandu, May 16:
Chairman of State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives, Ramhari Khatiwada, has expressed commitment to amend the laws on vital registration and citizenship.
During an interaction the Forum of Women, Law and Development (FWLD) organized with media persons on problems relating to birth registration here Thursday, Chairman Khatiwada vowed the Committee he led would take initiative for the amendment of laws relating to both the birth registration and citizenship.
He informed that an agreement was made with the Home Ministry to direct all 77 district administration offices that they issue citizenship certificates in mother’s name.
Referring to the births that occur in the airplanes, Chairman Khatiwada viewed evolving concept of birth registration in the international law could also be paid heed while making legal reform on it.
Executive Director at FWLD, Sabin Shrestha, viewed it would be against constitution to create hurdles on birth registration because Article 39 (1) of the constitution has guaranteed legal identity to every child.
She drew the attention of Chairman Khatiwada towards Article 7 of Child Rights Convention to which Nepal is a party has the provision that the child must be provided a birth registration certificate within an hour, but thousands of children are deprived of this rights. So, timely reform on legal provisions is essential, he reiterated.
Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)
