Bold and visible leadership and the framing of CRVS as a public good and a development imperative will help to maintain the impressive momentum for improvement that currently exists in the Asia-Paci c region. In a region characterized by rapid change and challenges on many fronts, CRVS systems can contribute to a range of development priorities, including the documentation of the identity of each individual, the progressive realization of civil and political rights, increased equity, better targeting of policies and programmes through improved vital statistics, more effective monitoring of the use of national and donor