A case study on Peru illustrates how integrating civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) with identity management systems is key to guaranteeing citizens’ access to rights and implementing better policies. The country study is part of a compendium of good practices for advancing SDG target 16.9 (provide legal identity for all, including birth registration) published by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and the Centre of Excellence.

The Peru study reports that after operating a disperse system of civil registration and an identification system closely tied to electoral purposes for more than 100 years, in 1993 Peru established a single national agency in charge of both functions, el Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil (RENIEC). Since then, RENIEC has articulated a decentralized system, increasing the coverage of vital events registration, identifying citizens, and integrating CRVS and identity management systems. The integration was realized through establishing standard processes and guidelines, introducing digital technology, and digitizing civil registration and identification records.

Throughout the integration process, RENIEC has increased collaboration between public and private organizations through the exchange of data, and has become Peru’s primary resource for identity authentication. The case study notes that, in order to make civil registration the backbone of identity management, RENIEC focused its efforts on:

• Constitutional independence and autonomy;
• Digitized records;
• Information exchange between public and private sectors;
• Integration strategies combined with information technology; and
• Online services at health facilities for birth and death certification and registration.

To reflect the benefits of CRVS and ID management, the publication highlights the example of nutrition subsidies where the integration improved service provision and saved time and money: RENIEC has ensured that more newborns get nutrition support in time by reducing the application process from two months to 72 hours, and reaching 71% of beneficiaries within the first month, up from 36%.

As data gaps in registration still remain, especially related to the most vulnerable segments of the population, RENIEC has taken measures to improve services for Indigenous communities, set inter-institutional alliances and cooperation, and launch mobile registration units.

The publication also notes that, as part of the efforts to serve Indigenous communities, the Identity Restitution and Social Support Department is developing a project to provide customized training to civil registrars in Indigenous communities. As Peru has 48 Indigenous languages that are spoken by approximately 16% of the population, since 2014 RENIEC has worked to promote the use of Indigenous languages in civil registration services. The institution also provides an online registration platform, civil registry books, civil registration forms, dissemination and training material, and certified copies of civil registration records in Indigenous languages. These measures have helped reduce registration errors, promote inclusion, reduce under-registration, and contribute to reaching the SDG target 16.9.

The publication titled, ‘Compendium of Good Practices in Linking Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and Identity Management Systems,’ also features five other country case studies: Armenia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia and Netherlands. The authors note that the benefits of a holistic approach to CRVS and identity management span several aspects of governance, including ensuring people’s rights, improving service delivery, reducing corruption, and leaving no one behind. [Publication: Compendium of Good Practices in Linking Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and Identity Management Systems – Peru]