Thousands Lack Legal Identity – Liberia news The New Dawn Liberia, premier resource for latest news

By Bridgett Milton

MONROVIA, Liberia, August 11, 2026 – The Ministry of Health (MOH) has called for increased national investment, stronger institutional coordination and wider access to civil registration services, warning that thousands of Liberians continue to live without the legal documentation needed to establish their identity and access basic rights and services.

The Ministry made the call as Liberia joined other African countries in observing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day, highlighting the importance of registering births, deaths and other vital events.

The observance was held under the theme: “New CRVS Decade (2026–2036): Consolidating the Gains of APAI-CRVS and Securing the Future of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa through Integration, Decentralization, and Digitalization.”

The program brought together health workers and other stakeholders from across the country to discuss efforts to strengthen Liberia’s civil registration system.

Speaking during the program, Assistant Minister for Statistics at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anthony L. Fortune, described civil registration as fundamental to establishing an individual’s legal identity and relationship with the state.

He said a birth certificate provides documentary evidence of a person’s name, age, family relationships and nationality—information essential for accessing healthcare, education and other public services.

“Legal identity also affects a person’s ability to participate in political processes, seek justice, own property, secure formal employment, access financial services and exercise inheritance rights,” Fortune said.

He explained that effective civil registration and vital statistics systems do more than provide individuals with legal identities, noting that they also support good governance, protect human rights and contribute to building more inclusive societies.

Fortune warned that thousands of Liberians continue to live without the rights and protections associated with legal identity, while some people die without official documentation establishing that they ever legally existed.

He said the situation underscores the need for Liberia to commit substantial public resources to transforming its CRVS system and making registration services more accessible, technically efficient and financially sustainable.

The Assistant Minister also urged Liberians to take advantage of available birth registration services and obtain national identification cards to strengthen documentation of their legal identities.

The Ministry of Health, in a statement delivered on behalf of Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening civil registration and vital statistics as a national development priority.

The Ministry stressed that every Liberian should have births and other vital events officially registered, noting that an effective civil registration system provides legal identity, facilitates access to rights and essential services, and generates reliable statistics for national development planning.

It said strengthening the system will require sustained investment, institutional cooperation and expanded access to registration services, particularly for communities where obtaining civil-registration documents remains difficult.