SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will organise a Technical Workshop on “Marriage and Divorce Registration and Vital Statistics Production” on 18 April 2025 at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye. The workshop aims to strengthen marriage and divorce registration processes and enhance the production, analysis, and use of vital statistics on nuptiality and divorce in Central Asia.

Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) is at the core of a government’s administrative system and provides permanent, compulsory, and universal recording of life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Marriage and divorce registration plays an essential role in ensuring legal identity, clarifying family relationships, and supporting public administration. Reliable and timely marriage and divorce statistics are also critical for demographic analysis and policymaking. However, challenges remain in ensuring complete and accurate registration of marriages and divorces, as well as in the harmonization of vital statistics production across countries in Central Asia.

The workshop will provide a platform for representatives from National Statistical Offices (NSOs), civil registration authorities, and justice ministries to discuss the current status of marriage and divorce registration in the region. Participants will exchange experiences on national legal frameworks, institutional coordination, and data-sharing mechanisms, as well as identify best practices for improving registration systems and enhancing the quality of vital statistics. The workshop will also explore the role of digitalization in improving data accuracy and accessibility, with a particular emphasis on ongoing efforts to integrate CRVS with other government databases.

By bringing together experts and practitioners, the workshop aims to contribute to the development of harmonized guidelines, tools, and business processes for marriage and divorce registration and vital statistics production in Central Asia. The outcomes will help strengthen institutional capacity, improve data comparability, and support informed decision-making in the region. The discussions will also provide insights for future technical cooperation initiatives to further enhance CRVS systems in line with international best practices and regional priorities.