A/HRC/27/22 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 17 June 2014 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary The present report contains an overview of the global rates of birth registration, a universal human right recognized in a number of international instruments. It considers the consequences and impact of non-registration on human rights, particularly since the right to be registered at birth is closely linked to the realization of many other rights, such as the right to health and the right to education. It also analyses the barriers to access to birth registration, provides examples of good practices and makes a number of recommendations to ensure the universal implementation of this right. GE.14-05391 (E) *1405391*