Statistics such as “135 million children under the age of five in Asia and the Pacific have not had their births registered” or “9 out of 10 people in Asia and the Pacific live in countries with unreliable death statistics” make us realize that civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in Asia and the Pacific need to be improved. The Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, 24-28 November 2014, aims to increase awareness of the importance of universal civil registration and reliable vital statistics for rights, governance and better statistics, and to generate firm commitment and accountability for results from governments and development partners, through a Ministerial Declaration and a Regional Action Framework.