Triangular cooperation between Peru, Paraguay and Germany: building capacity in Paraguay’s registration authorities
Project description
Title: Regional Fund for the Promotion of Triangular Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean –
Individual measure: Building capacity in Paraguay’s registration authorities
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: Paraguay (recipient country), Peru (partner country)
Overall term: 2011 to 2014
Context
Initially, the concept for this project was devised by Peru’s civil registration authority RENIEC and the GIZ-backed programme Modernisation of the State and Democratic Participation. From 2007 to 2010, the programme assisted RENIEC in producing training materials and manuals for civil registry staff responsible for indigenous communities, the aim being to issue birth certificates for members of the indigenous community. This support enabled RENIEC to improve its training system throughout the country. Paraguay has a particularly high percentage of people without identity papers, especially among the indigenous population. As a result, Paraguay was greatly interested in harnessing Peru’s experience.
Objective
Children, young people and adults have improved access to birth certificates. This applies in particular to the indigenous population.
Approach
The civil registration authorities in Paraguay and Peru are to start by conducting a joint analysis of the problems and potentials in Paraguay, after which they will draft a work plan. RENIEC and the Paraguayan authority will then adapt the methods and manuals to Paraguay’s needs and legal context. RENIEC is to train the Paraguayan staff and assist the civil registration authority in setting up and improving its own training system. This work will involve the use of virtual and non-virtual methods and foster a two-way exchange process between Peru and Paraguay. Experiences gained will be applied to the regional context and disseminated as best practices.
The measure harnesses the experience gained and networks generated by a civil registration project targeting indigenous peoples in the Amazon border regions that GIZ is implementing in four countries via the Organization of American States (OAS). The regional exchange of experience is promoted by additional funding within the framework of international human resources development.
Results
Together with the OAS initiative, this project has helped strengthen the status of Paraguay’s registration authority and thus secure funding for a further expansion of the country’s registration system. Better training for authority staff has improved civil registration, especially in remote rural areas. This is a major milestone in the drive to enable marginalised population groups to benefit from state services.