Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation Kees Beemsterboer and UNICEF Representative Louis-Georges Arsenault signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Under the agreement, the Dutch government will donate the money for two years from January 2007 to December 31, 2009.

LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry of Bangladesh, in partnership with the UNICEF, is going to strengthen the system and capacity for the implementation of effective birth registration across the country.

The project will contribute to the implementation of the inter-sectoral strategy along with supporting the establishment of a sustainable and functional birth registration system.

During the first priority phase, 90% of primary and secondary level students and 95% of 0-1 year old children will be covered, which is 25%of the total population.

The government has adopted a Universal Birth Registration strategy in 2006, which provides free registration for the following two years, aiming at registering all by 2008.