CRVS: Legal Identity, Protected Rights

Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) is the official system that records life events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. For refugees in Indonesia, CRVS is more than paperwork, it is the gateway to legal recognition, access to services, and protection of fundamental rights.

What We’re Building

CRVS is more than a program—it is a foundation for sustainable inclusion.

We are building a research network that connects universities, government agencies, and UNHCR, ensuring that refugee realities inform national solutions. We are analyzing refugee birth and death records from 2001–2024 to identify gaps and strengthen evidence. Through interviews and focus groups, we uncover the real barriers faced by refugees and officials. Legal guidance is being developed to advocate for refugee inclusion in Indonesia’s national population system (SIAK) and the issuance of identity numbers (NIK).

Why It Matters

CRVS is not just administration—it is human rights in action.

By providing legal identity, children can enroll in school and access healthcare. By ensuring official death registration, families gain recognition of inheritance rights. By supplying accurate data, governments can design fair health and social policies. Most importantly, CRVS reduces the risks of statelessness and discrimination, especially for women and girls.

Primary Beneficiaries

CRVS is designed to serve those who are most directly impacted. Refugees gain legal recognition and access to essential services such as education and healthcare, allowing them to live with dignity and security. Government officials and civil registrars benefit from clearer processes and stronger systems to manage population data. Policymakers receive reliable evidence to design inclusive national strategies that protect vulnerable groups. And communities at large experience the positive ripple effects of stronger health and education systems, which ultimately build resilience and fairness for everyone.

Engagement Framework

Lasting change requires collaboration. CRVS promotes ongoing dialogue with officials and registrars, education for refugees about their rights and registration processes, and cross‑institutional collaboration among government, UNHCR, and universities. It also commits to global knowledge sharing, ensuring that lessons learned in Indonesia strengthen practices worldwide.

Collaborators

No single institution can achieve inclusive CRVS alone. This initiative is led by Universitas Gadjah Mada in partnership with:

• Johns Hopkins University Gender Equity Unit
• UNHCR Indonesia
• Local and international partners committed to refugee rights

CRVS ensures every refugee is legally recognized. Inclusive birth and death registration means safer lives, fairer opportunities, and stronger communities