Ghana: The "Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births" certificate; a description of its colour, size, and seals; whether the format has changed since 2006; procedures for renewal or re-issuance; who is authorized to sign the Register of Births and Deaths and whether this varies from one region to another; security features (2006-July 2015)

1. Physical Characteristics

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the High Commission of Canada to Ghana in Accra stated that a "computer generated [Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births] certificate was introduced on July 13, 2009" (Canada 30 June 2015). The same source further reported that "[f]rom that date, the Registry stopped issuing manual (hand and typewritten) certified copies of Births and Deaths certificates" (ibid.). According to sources, as of 1 February 2011, only originals of the computer-generated certified copies of birth certificates should be recognized and accepted for business and travel documentation (ibid.; US n.d.). The official from the High Commission of Canada to Ghana provided the following information about the physical characteristics of the Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births certificate:

The certificate is printed on A4-sized paper;

the green colour prominent in the center of the certificate fades towards the margins on the left and right sides;

the background is offset;

the serial number is in letterpress;

the "Date of Registration" section of the document contains the date when the birth was first registered;

there is a watermark grid pattern over the whole paper. (Canada 30 June 2015)

The official indicated that the only two authorized signatories on the Certified Copy are the Registrar for Ghana at the National Head Office and his two deputies (ibid.). The source also noted that the name of the district registrar, who originally registered the birth, is normally "mentioned for record purposes" (ibid. 3 July 2015). A copy of the computer-generated Certified Copy of Entry in Registry of Births certificate has been attached to this response.

2. Security Features

According to information provided by the official at the High Commission of Canada to Ghana, security features on the Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births certificate include the following:

The paper substrate itself does not react to UV light;

there is an optically variable device which reads "Births and Deaths Registry"; its location may vary from year to year but it is normally affixed next to the father's name on the certificate;

there is a dry seal over the signature, which has a variable consistency;

several features of the certificate react to UV light, including fibres, the serial number, and the coat of arms;

there is a small map of Ghana located at the bottom of the document, however there are no security features attached to this image. (Canada 30 June 2015; ibid. 3 July 2015)

Images showing each of the security features of the Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births certificate have been attached to this Response.

3. Applying for or Renewing a Certified Copy of Entry into Register of Births Certificate

Section 32 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965, indicates that

32. (1) The Registrar upon the application of any person and the giving by that person of such information as the Registrar thinks fit and upon the payment by that person of the prescribed fee, shall on being satisfied that the information is not to be used for an improper purpose cause to be issued to that person a certified copy of the entry in the Register of Births in respect of any person.

(2) A certified copy issued under subsection (1) of this section shall be a true copy of the entry in the Register of Births together with a certificate to that effect at the end of which shall be signed by the Registrar having custody of the register. (Ghana 1965)

The Births and Death's Registry of Ghana notes that a "parent or child can apply for a certified copy of entry in the Register of births any time the need arises" (Ghana n.d.). According to the Ghana Reciprocity Schedule, published by the US Department of State, individuals within Ghana "must apply in person at the appropriate Registrar's Office. Records of registrations more than one year old are deposited with the Office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Ghana, C/O Ministry of Local Government P.O. Box M.270, Accra, Ghana" (US n.d.). The official from the High Commission of Canada to Ghana similarly reported that "[i]n Ghana, a person goes to a district registry or the Accra Head Office to apply for a certified copy a birth certificate" but that "[a]ll certified copies are issued from the Head Office, in Accra" (Canada 30 June 2015). Sources indicate that the Births and Deaths Registry is headquartered in Accra (ibid.; Online Today 12 Feb. 2015).

According to sources, individuals residing outside of Ghana are able to apply for a Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births certificate via a third party (Canada 30 June 2015; US n.d.). The official at the Canadian High Commission to Ghana stated that a relative or friend of a Ghanaian resident abroad may apply for a certificate on their behalf at the Births and Deaths Registry (Canada 30 June 2015). The same source states that

[t]he local representative [relative or friend] can contact the local Births and Deaths Registry (RBD) for the necessary application requirements, and procedure, on how to apply for the birth certificate. The information required may include: child's name, date and place of birth, parents' names, date and place of registration (if available) etc. (ibid.)

According to the US Reciprocity Schedule for Ghana, a person applying for a certified copy of a birth certificate on behalf of someone outside of Ghana must present their written authorization to the Registry in order to obtain the certificate (US n.d.).

Sources state that many birth registrations in Ghana are not made immediately after birth, but rather when an individual is in need of a copy of their birth certificate for other official documentation purposes (ibid.; Daily Graphic 20 Mar. 2012; UN 1 May 2011). In a 2011 bulletin, the World Health Organization (WHO) quotes the Principle Assistant Registrar of the Ghana Births and Deaths Registry as stating that "'[p]eople remember to register only when they need the birth certificates to complete an official document'" (ibid.). In 2012, the Daily Graphic, a Ghanaian newspaper owned by Graphic Communications Group Limited, the largest newspaper publishing and printing company in Ghana (Graphic Communications Group n.d.), likewise quotes the Principle Assistant Registrar as stating that is it "normal for people to rush for birth certificates for the purposes of acquiring passports, seeking enlistment into the security services and admission to professional training institutions" (Daily Graphic 20 Mar. 2012). According to the US Reciprocity Schedule for Ghana, the majority of birth registrations are made when an individual requires a birth certificate for immigration purposes (US n.d.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Canada. 3 July 2015. High Commission in Accra, Ghana. Correspondence with an official.

_____. 30 June 2015. High Commission in Accra, Ghana. Correspondence with an official.

Daily Graphic. 20 March 2012. "Citizenship Not by Birth Certificate." [Accessed 23 June 2015]

Ghana. 1965. The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965. [Accessed 25 June 2015]

_____. N.d. Births and Deaths Registry (BDR). "The Birth Registration Procedure." [Accessed 23 June 2015]

Graphic Communications Group. N.d. "Welcome Message." [Accessed 29 June 2015]

Online Today. 12 February 2015. Kwamena Ananse and Nana Tuffuor. "No Passport; No Birth Form for the Last 3 Months." [Accessed 23 June 2015]

United Nations (UN). 1 May 2011. World Health Organization (WHO). "Volunteers Vital for Counting Births and Deaths in Ghana." [Accessed 23 June 2015]

United States (US). N.d. Department of State. Ghana Reciprocity Schedule. [Accessed 16 June 2015]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: The following were unable to provide information within the time constraints of this Response: A&A Law Consult.

Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Addo Atuah & Co. Law Firm; Allswell Chambers Law Firm; De Medeiros & Associates Law Firm; Ghana - Embassy to the United States of America, High Commission to Canada, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development; Gharty and Gharty Law Firm; JLD Legal Consultancy Services; Judicial Training Institute of Ghana; RA Codjoe Law Offices.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; Africa Research Bulletin; Agence France-Presse; Al Jazeera; AllAfrica.com; Amnesty International; Canada - Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development, High Commission to Ghana; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Ghana - High Commission to Canada, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development; Ghana Legal; Human Rights Watch; Judicial Training Institute of Ghana; Keesings Document Checker; Reuters; United States - Central Intelligence Agency.

Attachments

1. Canada. N.d. "Example of Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births Certificate." Sent to the Research Directorate by an official at the High Commission of Canada in Accra, Ghana, 30 June 2015.

2. Canada. N.d. "Security Features of the Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births Certificate." Sent to the Research Directorate by an official at the High Commission of Canada in Accra, Ghana, 30 June 2015.