NCRA NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL PAID COURTESY CALL ON UNICEF

The newly appointed Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority Mr. Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi and his top management team paid a courtesy call to the Country Representative of UNICEF Mr. Hamid El-bashir Ibrahim at UNICEF New England Office on Thursday 26th July 2018.

The UNICEF representation that has spent a year in SL said he appreciated the initiative of paying a courtesy call and wished the partnership with NCRA continues to grow stronger; he also spoke of capacity building for NCRA and innovation. He further said civil registration is strategic to the work of UNICEF. Ndanga Musa said NCRA and UNICEF are in the middle of their partnership and called for work plan to be reviewed and updated for 2018-2019. She said the area UNICEF is interested are, system strengthen, child registration, technical support for coordination, provide technical and logistical support for local councils to include birth registration, provide capacity building for quality child health service and provide capacity building for 6000 Community Health Workers. She said some funds are available that should be utilized before the year comes to an end. The new Director General spoke about the mass registration and thanked UNICEF for the support provided, the pending exhibition, issuance of ID cards and security and protection of the system. Among other things discussed are to work on draft proposal to be shared, UNICEF partnership in area where improvement is needed, and co-ordination between MOH and NCRA to ensure that both registrations continues. Sierra Leone has adopted the Namibian module which is a good module and the issue of child right protection is mentioned. UNICEF said is good that birth registration is within the remit of NCRA as mandated by the Civil Registration Act 2016. NCRA should establish structures within to handle birth registration. Other partners like social welfare Ministry, Local Government, and the Administrator General Office should be brought on board. Stakeholders meeting should be called to discuss clarification and the use of facility. Ndanga Moiwo from UNICEF said while the legislation on late and delayed registration of birth is clear in the Births and Deaths Act of 1983, the Civil Registration Act does not say anything about it. Sierra Leone has not done country assessment and has always been on and off due to change of leadership administratively and politically at the Ministry of Internal Affair. The new Director General of NCRA Mr. Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi said, he will covey what was discussed in the meeting when he goes to brief His Excellency.