Introduction:
Every child has a unique identity, including birth, name, nationality and family relations (Arts. 7-8 CRC).
Without all the information relevant to forming a cohesive identity, children systematically face a range of challenges, which can be of a legal, medical and psychosocial nature. Moreover the lack of formally recognised and documented identity invariably creates problems
for children to access multiple basic rights such as education, health, development, social services, social security and they are
equally at a greater risk of being sold and trafficked (e.g. Arts. 12, 24, 26, 28, 32 CRC).
Urgent attention is needed to address the needs of millions of children who find themselves without crucial elements of their
identity, including those that have had their identities falsified and/or sold. This webinar focuses on cross-cutting issues to respond to the challenges created by a lack of identity, which can lead to obstacles for the full enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
In addition to not accessing health services due to lack of birth registration, in terms of physical health, comprehensive information about family origins is further essential to
ensure the highest attainable standard of health and well-being. Deprived of family health history, children and adults affected have less information about their genetic health risks. For example, whilst some risk factors, such as family history in cancer cannot be changed, being aware of this reality can effectively reduce associated mortality.
In terms of mental health, UNICEF’s 2021 flagship On My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health discusses risks and protective factors and delves into the social determinants that shape
mental health and well-being. Remarkable, by way of example, is the inclusion of a positive sense of identity in the very definition of mental
health. It further notes the link between mental health and its impact on the child’s sense of identity, with implications for example, with their
success in school and in life as when this is “positive, responsive and caring, the child develops a model on which to build sense of self, identity and a baseline for other relationships.” It is clear of course that a number of mental health issues are likely
to arise in situations where children’s identities are missing, falsified and/or sold.
Given the wide ramifications of identity breaches on the international community including Switzerland,
“I don’t even know when I was born,” says
Brenda Lynch, whose certificate is false and
who does not know the identity of her
biological mother. “Somebody said, ‘Well,
that is not important. But do you know
what it is?”
I was adopted in Colorado in the late
1960’s. At the age of 20, I was stricken
with a serious illness that necessitated
access to my medical history, including
my birth family’s history. To my distress,
I discovered I had no legal right to obtain
my original birth certificate.
The issue of identity is not often prioritized by authorities and other actors, as contraventions are less obvious in terms of immediate visibility. Children whose identities are missing and/or falsified may only find out when they are much older – as violations that begin at birth may remain unquestioned. To this end, this hybrid event will explore through a variety of topics :
– scope of the right to identity and health (physical and mental)
– birth registration and access to health
– nationality and access to health
– family relations and access to health
To register for this Hybrid Workshop: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SMTfNclqRJydy8kFpanFTQ