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Operation Birthright

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Operation Birthright

The Operation Birthright Project ensures all Jamaicans have a legal identity. The initiative aims to bridge the legal divide of the undocumented persons, by providing support to children and adults without legal identification, who are financially unable to apply for a birth certificate, to register and obtain a birth certificate. A birth certificate is required by the public and private sectors for Jamaicans to access several vital services such as immunization, education, financial services and formal employment.

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Project Objectives

The objectives of the Project are as follows:

To develop a process for identifying and registering needy undocumented Jamaican nationals

To register needy undocumented Jamaican nationals and the issuance of a computer-generated birth certificate so that these individuals can obtain legal registration.

Operation Birthright

Eligibility Criteria

  • Head of the Jamaica
  • Council for Persons with Disabilities.
  • Senior Official in the Ministry of Local
  • Government certifying an individual as a registered poor.
  • Member of Parliament
  • Justice of the Peace
  • High Court Judge
  • Resident Magistrate
  • Clerk of Courts
  • Medical Practitioner
  • Minister of Religion
  • Police Officer (Gazetted Ranks)
  • Parish Councillor
  • Dental Surgeon
  • Principal (Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Educational Institutions)
  • Veterinarian
  • Bank Manager
  • Attorney-at-Law
  • Army Officer (Major & above)
  • Official Representative of the Salvation Army
  • Official Representative of the Missionary of the Poor
  • CEO/Coordinator of a Registered Civil Society Organization
  • Head of the PATH programme in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security
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Registration Targets

Data published by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute and information from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) were used as the baseline for indicators for the OB Project. The table below gives the baseline and the targets for achievement.

Indicators2020 / 2021 Baseline2022 / 2023 Targets
No. of Jamaicans without legal identification (ID)200,000 (may include persons without birth certificates)Reduced by 20% annually via the issuance of a birth certificate and National Identification Card
No. of Strategic Partnerships with community groups, political representatives, and organizations to identify persons without legal identification0Increase partnerships with 63 Members of Parliament and 228 councillors island-wide. Establish partnerships with Jamaica Post to distribute forms to churches and community organizations via over 200 post offices island-wide
No. of persons with no access to COVID-19 grants due to no legal identification35,00050% reduction over 2 years
No. of persons with no birth certificates11,000 (estimated using data from a program executed by JSIF in 2017)Issue 11,000 birth certificates across 14 parishes between FY 2022/2023 – 2023/2024

Why NIRA Matters

The National Identification and Registration Authority is not just about identification – it is about empowerment, trust, and opportunity for every Jamaican.

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