A United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) study has revealed that millions of babies go unregistered at birth, denying them an official identity, a recognized name and a nationality. "A birth certificate is one of the most important pieces of paper a person will ever own," said Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director. "Unregistered children lack the most basic protection against abuse and exploitation and become a more attractive commodity to a child trafficker, illegal adoption rings, and others who seek to take advantage of their non-status," she said.