VZCZCXRO6173
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHGE #0552/01 1632019
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 122019Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3631
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000552 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFRD KCRM CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC GY
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: CIVIL DOCUMENT SECURITY IN GUYANA: THE 
GENERAL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE 
 
  ¶1.   SUMMARY: A Vice Consul covering the anti-fraud 
     portfolio and a Fraud Investigator LES visited the General 
     Registrar's Office (GRO) to observe how civil documents in 
     Guyana are issued and safeguarded.  Although these systems 
     are becoming more secure, there are gaps in the systems 
     which cause concern to the Consular Section.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
A short overview of birth records in Guyana 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
  ¶2.   Before 1987 requests for birth records were submitted 
     to the Registrar General by the midwife or attendant. 
     Although regulations were in place to allow both parents' 
     names, whether married or not, to appear on the birth 
     record, due to poor legal interpretation this was not 
     generally practiced until approximately 1983.  Before that 
     time, the father's name generally only appeared if the 
     parents were married to each other.  Guyanese law states 
     that once a man marries a woman, the children held in common 
     can have his name listed on their birth certificate.  This 
     means that even if a man were to marry a woman when they 
     were each 65 and the woman's child was 40, the child's birth 
     certificate could be amended to read that the mother's 
     husband is the father of the child.  When this is done, the 
     birth registration is `re-registered' and the re- 
     registration is noted on the birth certificate. 
 
     There is a plan underway, supported by the GRO, to pass 
     a law that would allow a man to petition the court to 
     have his name added to a child's birth record.  If this 
     law is passed, this could become a new vehicle for 
     fraud.  It is not clear whether or not there would be 
     any note on birth certificates indicating that the 
     father's name was listed through a petition to the 
     court. 
 
     Parents can also `late register' a child.  Most late 
     registrations take place shortly before a child enrolls 
     in nursery school.   In some cases, the Consular 
     Section sees beneficiaries who were not registered 
     until months before they were petitioned for by a 
     relative.  A late registration can be done at any time. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
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REQUIREMENTS TO REGISTER A CHILD AND THE ISSUANCE PROCESS 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
--------------------------------------- 
 
  ¶3.   Many of the usual safeguards to ensure accurate birth 
     registrations in the U.S. are not practiced in Guyana.  To 
     register a child the parent(s) must complete a registration 
     form (which is a triplicate form) and bring the completed 
     form to a registration center.  There are 400 registration 
     centers located in health clinics and hospitals throughout 
     Guyana.  Until recently, approximately 2002, regulations 
     requiring parent(s) to provide identification to register a 
     child was not strictly enforced. This means that a brother 
     could easily stand in for another brother and sign for a 
     child as if it were his own.  The Consular Section knows of 
     incidents where this has occurred. 
 
     The registration form and the fee (which does not even 
     cover the cost of paper and shipping, let alone staff 
     salaries) are forwarded to the GRO in Georgetown where 
     the registration form is filed and the birth 
     certificate is issued. 
 
     Birth certificates are written by hand by approximately 
     twelve clerks.  The clerks must account for each birth 
     certificate.  At the beginning of the day, they sign 
     for a quantity of blank certificates.  Each clerk has a 
     log book in which they record the certificate number 
     and the name of the person to whom it was issued. 
     Based on FPU checks, the certificate number and the 
     name do not always match. At the end of the day, the 
     clerks return the unused certificates to their manager. 
     The Registrar said that it is possible that some of the 
     clerks could alter information on a birth certificate 
     during the transcription process due to lack of 
     oversight. 
 
---------------------------------- 
THE DOCUMENT ITSELF 
---------------------------------- 
 
  ¶4.   Birth certificates are printed on whatever paper is 
     available to the printer, according to the Registrar.  Over 
 
GEORGETOWN 00000552  002 OF 002 
 
 
     the last year, there have been at least three different 
     paper stocks used: a light green polka dot, a stark white 
     and a white with a light green overlay.  This constant 
     changeover in paper stocks makes it difficult for new 
     Consular officers to authenticate birth certificates.  On 
     the other hand, once a Consular officer becomes acquainted 
     with the various paper stocks and when they were issued, 
     s/he can easily distinguish a 1999 certificate from a 2004 
     certificate.  Birth certificates are printed in batches of 
     50,000 certificates.  Each batch requires a separate tender. 
     Although the same printer has been used for a number of 
     years, he is not assured of being awarded the contract and 
     does not keep extra stocks available.  The Registrar would 
     like to use a more secure and consistent paper stock but 
     does not have the space available to store the paper. 
 
     Security features in birth certificates are 
     inconsistent.  Some birth certificates have embossed 
     certificate numbers, others do not.  In a recent print, 
     some of the certificates had embossed numbers, while 
     others did not, making it difficult for Consular 
     officers to detect fake birth certificates.  One fairly 
     consistent security feature throughout the birth 
     certificates is the embossed "Certificate of Birth" 
     across the top and an embossed border.  The ink color 
     is not consistent, changes from print to print and 
     changes within a printing as the ink runs out.  There 
     are no watermarks, threads or UV-sensitive ink in any 
     of the birth certificates.   The Registrar would like a 
     more secure document, but has no funds to pay for these 
     security features. 
 
     The most secure of the security features is the dry 
     seal.  Each birth certificate is sealed with a dry 
     seal.  The dry seal changed from the word `GUYANA' to 
     the coat of arms of Guyana in late 2001. 
 
 
  ¶5.   If there were a fire at the GRO all birth records for 
     all persons born in Guyana would be destroyed. The GRO is 
     located on the fourth floor of the Guyana Post Office 
     Building, a concrete structure in the clustered downtown 
     Georgetown area.  Along one wall, which is made entirely of 
     windows covered in mesh, there is a walkway.  All of the 
     walls inside the structure are made of wood, as is the racks 
     on which the bound volumes of birth certificates are kept. 
     There are two sets of original bound volumes in which all of 
     the birth certificates are recorded.  They are both kept in 
     the same office. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
BIRTH CERTIFICATE FRAUD 
---------------------------------------- 
 
  ¶6.   The Consular Section sees a number of fraudulent birth 
     certificates every week.  Although some of these appear not 
     to be on authentic birth certificate paper stock, many of 
     them are.  Recently, after admitting to presenting a 
     fraudulent birth certificate, two applicants said that a 
     relative in New York sent the birth certificate to them.  In 
     both of these cases, the birth certificates were printed on 
     authentic paper, but with a counterfeit seal. 
 
     Consular Officers and the Registrar General believe 
     that some of the paper stocks have been stolen or that 
     the printer prints extra copies for document vendors. 
 
 
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OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST 
--------------------------------------- 
 
  ¶7.   The Registrar's Office is plagued with opportunities 
     for fraud and misfeasance.  This directly impacts the safety 
     and security of the American people.  Persons could easily 
     obtain a legitimate document with altered information. 
     These documents could facilitate visa issuance.  One of the 
     Mission's MPP indicators is to provide equipment and 
     training in record keeping to the Registrar's Office.  USAID 
     has a proven track record of improving registry databases in 
     other countries.  The Mission feels that upgrading the 
     registry system should be a priority project for USAID in 
     order to meet the MPP indicator. 
 
BULLEN