Leaving no one behind in ensuring citizens' rights

Behind every completed civil status record lies an opportunity for citizens to fully exercise their civil rights and gain access to social welfare benefits.

Resolving obstacles at the grassroots level

At the age of 44, Pham Thi Tiep, a resident of An Phu hamlet in An Vien commune, received her first birth certificate, the fundamental civil status document that every citizen is expected to obtain at birth.

Due to an intellectual disability and the early death of her parents, Tiep had lived with her older brother and had never been registered at birth. When local judicial officials began assisting her, she could hardly recall her personal information, making the identity verification process particularly challenging.

Luu Thi Bich Huyen, a justice and civil status officer in An Vien Commune, assists residents with administrative procedures. Photo: Ho Thao

Luu Thi Bich Huyen, a justice and civil status officer in An Vien commune, said the local authorities coordinated with Tiep's family, the police and officials from her former place of residence to verify the necessary information and complete her application.

"A birth certificate is the original civil status document that establishes a person's legal identity. Without one, children face difficulties enrolling in school or obtaining health insurance cards, while adults encounter obstacles in applying for identity cards, participating in social insurance or carrying out many civil transactions."

For Tiep, obtaining a birth certificate not only completed her civil registration record but also enabled her to participate in the social insurance system and complete procedures related to inheritance rights.

According to Huyen, Tiep's case is just one of many that local authorities have worked patiently to resolve. An Vien commune has also integrated QR codes into its administrative services to guide residents through procedures, offers support through Zalo and other online platforms, and closely assists vulnerable residents throughout every stage of the registration process to ensure their legitimate rights are protected.

Duong Quoc Huong, Vice Chairman of the An Vien commune People's Committee, said the locality regards the handling of civil status registration for vulnerable groups not merely as an administrative campaign but as a task of profound humanitarian significance. Accordingly, the commune launched a 30-day mobile civil status registration Campaign while maintaining its friendly Thursday initiative. Following the principle of " going to every alley, knocking on every door, tracking every subject,” interdisciplinary working groups visit every household to help them complete registration procedures. At the same time, the commune is prioritizing the standardization, digitization and updating of civil status registration data under the principle of ensuring it is "accurate, complete, clean and up to date," thereby reducing future cases of missing civil status documents.

Thanks to this proactive approach, An Vien commune resolved 627 complex cases during the first half of 2026 and issued 124 new birth certificates to elderly residents and children through mobile registration campaigns.

Expanding a humanitarian approach

An Vien is not alone. Many other communes and wards across Dong Nai have introduced similar initiatives to help vulnerable residents complete their civil status registration records with support from relevant departments and agencies.

According to the Department of Justice (DoJ), after the Dong Nai provincial (now municipal) People's Committee  issued Plan No. 139/KH-UBND in October 2025, local authorities simultaneously reviewed cases involving missing or incomplete civil status registration documents, compiled lists of residents who lacked civil status documents or had never had them issued,  established interdisciplinary task forces and assigned officials to verify information and assist people in completing their applications. Many localities mobilized police officers, healthcare workers, educators, mass organizations and community leaders to work together in resolving individual cases.

To support local authorities, the DoJ advised the establishment of Task Force No. 08, comprising representatives from the DoJ, the Dong Nai City Public Security and the Department of Health. The department also introduced standardized forms, issued detailed guidance on verification procedures and provided direct assistance in handling complicated cases. As a result, many elderly residents have received birth certificates for the first time, while numerous children have obtained the legal documents required to attend school, enroll in health insurance and access social welfare benefits.

On June 26, 2026, the Dong Nai People's Committee issued Official Document No. 4027/UBND-NC, directing municipal departments, agencies and commune- and ward-level People's Committees to further strengthen interdisciplinary task forces, assign responsibilities under the "six-clear" principle, accelerate the processing of eligible applications and enhance inter-agency data sharing to resolve complicated cases while safeguarding citizens' lawful rights and interests.

The DoJ noted, however, that implementation continues to face challenges. Many applicants still lack identity documents or have incomplete personal information, making verification and documentation time-consuming. During the second half of 2026, the department will continue working with local authorities to expand reviews and classification of cases, improve data quality, expedite the processing of eligible applications and further leverage the role of Task Force No. 08 in resolving complex and long-standing cases.

Through proactive grassroots initiatives and close coordination among government agencies, efforts to address civil status registration issues for vulnerable groups are becoming increasingly effective. Each completed civil registration case not only provides residents with the essential legal documents they need, but also enables them to exercise their civil rights and gain access to education, healthcare, employment and social welfare services, embodying the principle of leaving no one behind.