Results of the High-Level Segment on Statelessness

A total of 360 pledges were submitted on the occasion of the High-Level Segment on Statelessness in October 2019.

252 of these pledges were delivered by States, 70 by civil society organizations, and 38 by international and regional organizations.

Pledges by:

Country Pledge
Albania By 2020, the Republic of Albania commits to establish by law, and implement, a dedicated statelessness determination procedure, which includes basic procedural safeguards, and the rights and obligations (legal status) of stateless persons in line with the provisions of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
Albania By 2021, the Republic of Albania commits to fully implement the 2018 legislative amendments that improve access to birth registration procedures for children of Roma and Egyptian communities, and for children born outside the territory of the Republic of Albania whose parents are nationals of the Republic of Albania.
Albania By 2019, the Republic of Albania commits to align its Law on Citizenship with, and effectively reduce the risk of statelessness in accordance with, the key provisions of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons as regards the naturalisation of stateless persons.
Angola Le Gouvernement de l’Angola s’engage par la présente à: a élargir la base d’enregistrement pour des citoyens nés en l’Angola, indépendamment de leur nationalité, ainsi que les Angolais vivants à l’etranger.
Angola Le Gouvernement de l’Angola s’engage par la présente à: La mise en place d’un Groupe Technique pour l’éradication de l’apatridie ainsi d’un Plan d’Action National.
Angola Le Gouvernment de l’angola s’engage par la présente à: A la sensibilisation de la population locale et à la mise en oeuvre de deux Conventions des Nations Unies sur l’apatridie de 1954 et de 1961.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to provide CONARE with the necessary resources and trainings to implement the statelessness determination procedure no later than 6 months from the enactment of the Law.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to take the necessary administrative measures so that the children of naturalized Argentine citizens who are in a situation of statelessness or at risk of statelessness abroad can access the procedure for opting for the Argentine nationality.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to take all the necessary measures before the pertinent judicial authorities in order to facilitate and promote the naturalisation of persons recognised as stateless, in accordance with Article 32 of the 1954 Convention.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to develop awareness and sensitisation campaigns aimed at mothers and fathers on the importance of birth registration and the subsequent acquisition of documentation, with a focus on public healthcare centres, as well as training and awareness activities for authorities of healthcare facilities and for officials of the Civil Registry, especially for those outside of the capitals, so that they register births correctly, without discrimination and without demanding additional documents to those established by current law
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to strengthen the coordination through the Federal Council of Civil Registries, as a formal institutional space for the exchange of good practices and challenges and to coordinate efforts in favour of birth registration.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits: Within the framework of the Latin American and Caribbean Council for Civil Registration, Identification, and Vital Statistics Annual Conference (CLARCIEV), to promote the exchange of good practices to prevent and solve cases of statelessness within the scope of the Civil Registry, and to foster, in coordination with other relevant bodies, a comparative study of the laws, policies, administrative practices and jurisprudence concerning birth registration, thus allowing the identification of existing standards and gaps that cause cases of statelessness or that hinder the solution of existing cases.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to develop studies, in coordination with UNHCR, in order to find out about the problems of under-registration of births in all provinces of the country.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to promote awareness and training activities on statelessness within the framework of MERCOSUR, both within the CONARES Meeting and the High-Level and Human Rights Authorities Meeting.
Argentina The Government of the Republic of Argentina hereby commits to undertake, in coordination with UNHCR, seminars on statelessness for officials of the Judiciary, in order to facilitate comprehension of the problem as an issue of human rights, to increase the level of knowledge about this problem and to favour its prevention.
Armenia The Government of the Republic of Armenia hereby commits: To review the national legislation on Nationalities (“Citizenship”) to establish legal grounds for decreasing the number of stateless persons and ensure proper mechanisms for guaranteeing the exercise of their rights.
Armenia The Government of the Republic of Armenia hereby commits: To conduct a comprehensive study on the status of stateless persons in order to reveal the gaps in the sphere, to map issues and to make suggestions on addressing the main challenges of the field.
Armenia The Government of the Republic of Armenia hereby commits: To further amend the provisions of the national legislation on Nationalities (“Citizenship”) that may cause statelessness (i.e. pursuing the legislative initiative to amend the citizenship law for putting safeguards during renunciation process).
Azerbaijan The Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan hereby commits to carry out measures in order to ensure naturalization of 545 stateless persons permanently residing in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the next 3 years.
Belarus The Government of the Republic of Belarus hereby commits to implement a project aiming at providing assistance to vulnerable categories of stateless persons willing to acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Belarus and regularize their status in the territory of Belarus.
Belarus The Government of the Republic of Belarus hereby commits to accede to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on Reduction of Statelessness after finalizing all relevant internal proceedings.
Belarus The Government of the Republic of Belarus hereby commits to include a statelessness-related question into the 2019 census of the population of the Republic of Belarus.
Belize

The Government of Belize hereby commits: A well-functioning system of birth registration events promotes the civil rights and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the management and delivery of government services, including health and social welfare benefits to the people. It is also the source of reliable, current and continuous information on vital events that would support informed decision at all levels. Although the birth registration system has been operational in Belize for many decades, it has not yet reached its full potential.

In 2015 UNICEF and the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) conducted a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey which revealed that approximately four percent of children remain outside of the system and are not registered at all. The children from poor families and those in rural areas are least likely to have a birth certificate. Children in the Toledo district are somewhat less likely to have their births registered than other children, as are children in the poorest households. It is good that the country has achieved a birth registration coverage rate of 96% and very few countries have this record. But in terms of child’s rights and other human rights, four percent of the population between the ages of 0 – 5 is still not registered and therefore not counted.

In 2016 the Government of Belize commissioned the development of a Bottleneck Analysis of Birth Registration. The analysis was commissioned in order to provide an opportunity to take stock of the current performance practices and levels and serve as a foundation to devise comprehensive and holistic strategies to effectively ensure the attainment of an effective and efficient Birth Registration (BR) system.
During the assessment of the birth registration system and the bottleneck analysis, a Steering Committee was set up after a thorough analysis of all the stakeholders. The committee is composed of governmental institutions and UN agencies closely associated with the BR system. These key institutions are those that are important and influential in the system and are important to the outcome of the reform process.

The same Steering Committee oversees the entire reform planning exercise and have developed a drafted plan with a multitude of activities to be carried out between 2019-2022 with the goal of carrying out a holistic review of the National Birth Registration system and address the gaps identified in the bottleneck analysis by proposing the change of some existing government processes, while reinforcing good practices.

The plan has been drafted and is currently undertaking implementation through utilizing public funding, and other available external resources that are offered through the support of UNHCR, UNICEF and other stakeholders.

This commitment corresponds to recommendation “6.90. Continue and expand the current efforts to make birth registration more accessible and efficient (Guyana)” of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Thirty-first session, Geneva, 5–16 November 2018.

Belize

The Government of Belize hereby commits: Belize is party to both conventions on statelessness and acknowledges the recommendation on the adoption of a comprehensive internal legislation establishing a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons. Statelessness in Belize is not perceived, however, as a major issue.

Belize has a birth coverage rate of 96%. Furthermore, the Belizean Constitution guarantees through the Immigration Act that any individual born in Belize, notwithstanding the immigration status of the parents, is automatically a Belizean; and any individual born in any jurisdiction or any undefined jurisdiction, having one parent as a Belizean, is automatically deemed to be a Belizean by descent. Considering this, it is a rare occurrence that a Belizean should remain stateless. This notwithstanding, there may be instances of statelessness along the border communities of Belize. In this regard, Belize commits to undertake a gap analysis on the national level to determine the scale of the challenge of statelessness in Belize, and further establish an appropriate mechanism to guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons in Belize. This would be a necessary step in determining the need for possible legislative review with a view to making appropriate amendments.

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation of a stateless person and the current legal gap of a concrete structure on statelessness, Belize identifies this as a pragmatic approach in the work toward combating statelessness.

This commitment corresponds to recommendation “6.97. Adopt national legislation on statelessness, in particular regarding a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons (Mexico)” and recommendation “6.98. Adopt comprehensive legislation establishing a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons (Serbia)”, of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Thirty-first session, Geneva, 5–16 November 2018.

Benin Le Gouvernement de la République du Bénin s’engage par la présente à faire la réforme du Code de la nationalité béninoise au plus tard courant 2020, pour en extraire les dispositions discriminatoires contenues dans les articles 12 et 13.
Benin Le Gouvernement de la République du Bénin s’engage par la présente à procéder une révision rapide du Plan d’Action National du Bénin contre l’apatridie en vue de sa mise en adéquation avec le Plan d’Action de Banjul, adopté ultérieurement.
Bolivia The Bolivian State is committed to coordinating and working with UNHCR to conduct training workshops and/or seminars on statelessness and refugees, to raise awareness and foster a common understanding around these topics.
Bosnia and Herzegovina By 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina commits to develop dedicated statelessness determination procedure and provide stateless persons rights in accordance with international conventions (the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons).
Bosnia and Herzegovina By 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina commits to improve birth registration of all children regardless of their status or status of their parents or lack of identity documents through changes to the legislation on civil registration and through improvement of birth registration practice. These actions will facilitate registration of children born abroad by BiH parents and registration of children born in BiH by undocumented parents (asylum seekers and migrants).
Bosnia and Herzegovina By 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina commits to ensure issuance of nationality documents to persons who are entitled to nationality under law but cannot acquire documentary proof are enabled to do so. Furthermore, Bosnia and Herzegovina commits to create mechanism for regulating status of persons in situation of displacement who stay in BiH for a long time (citizens of former SFRY) and who never registered residence.
Bosnia and Herzegovina By the end of 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina will develop a state action plan for ending statelessness by 2024 in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders at state, entity, Brcko District, cantonal and municipal/city levels.
Bulgaria The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria hereby commits to take action to improve the procedure to grant statelessness status and to consider the necessity of introducing a quality assessment mechanism for this procedure.
Bulgaria The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria hereby commits to initiate the procedure under national law to withdraw the reservation imposed by the Republic of Bulgaria with regard to Article 31 of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
Bulgaria The Government of Bulgaria hereby commits to a regular review of the relevance of the reservations imposed by Bulgaria in 2011 to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
Bulgaria The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria hereby commits to include stateless persons among persons subject to the National census 2021.
Burkina Faso Reformer la loi sur la nationalité et l’état civil en vue de corriger les lacunes qui peuvent être source d’apatridie, telles que révélées que par l’étude sur l’apatridie au Burkina Faso, conclue en 2018.
Burkina Faso La mise en place d’une loi sur statut des personnes apatrides consistera pour le Gouvernement a élaborer et soumettre un projet de loi y relative à l’Assemblée Nationale pour adoption, le tout suivant la procédure législative en vigueur au Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso Mettre en place une procédure de Détermination de Statut d’ Apatridie au Burkina Faso.
Cabo Verde Accede to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. In order to meet this commitment, it is necessary to request the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, entity responsible for external relations. After the opinion is delivered, the accession process is referred to the President for approval by Presidential decree.
Cabo Verde Accede to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. In order to meet this commitment, it is necessary to request the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, entity responsible for external relations. After the opinion is delivered, the accession process is referred to the President for approval by presidential decree
Cameroon Le Gouvernement de la République du Cameroun s’engage par la présente à mise en œuvre de la décision gouvernementale de mars 2019 sur la régularisation de l’état civil des personnes vivant sans acte de naissance.
Le Ministre en charge du Décentralisation et du Développement Local a instruit aux Magistrats Municipaux de prendre toutes les mesures jugées utiles en vue de procéder au recensement de toutes personnes ne disposant pas d’actes de naissance dans leurs unité de commandement et de régulariser la situation des dites personnes en liaison avec les hôpitaux (certificat d’age apparent) et tribunaux de première instance (décisions de jugement supplétifs).
Cameroon Le Gouvernement de la République du Cameroun s’engage par la présente à finaliser le processus menant à l’adhésion du Cameroun aux Conventions des Nations Unies sur l’apatridie et déposer ses instruments d’adhésion auxdites conventions.
Cameroon Le Gouvernement de la République du Cameroun s’engage par la présente a mener une étude qualitative sur les risques d’apatridie d’ici décembre 2020.
Cameroon Le Gouvernement de la République du Cameroun s’engage par la présente à l’inclusion d’un cours sur la citoyenneté et l’apatridie dans le curriculum du Centre de formation pour l’Administration Municipale (CEFAM).
Central African Republic D’ici fin 2021, la République Centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à insérer dans le code de la nationalité centrafricaine de 1961 amendé une disposition prévoyant d’attribuer la nationalité centrafricaine à la naissance aux enfants nés sur son territoire qui autrement seraient apatrides.
Central African Republic La République centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à réformer le code de la nationalité de 1961 amendé afin de permettre aux hommes et aux femmes centrafricaines de transmettre leur nationalité à leur conjoint (e) sur un même pied d’égalité d’ici fin 2021.
Central African Republic D’ici 2021, la République Centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à améliorer l’accès aux procédures d’enregistrement des naissances y compris l’enregistrement tardif des naissances pour garantir l’enregistrement de toutes les naissances ayant eu lieu sur son territoire et en particulier, de renforcer les capacités institutionnelles des services d’état civil dans les localités de retour des rapatriés (anciens réfugiés) et des personnes déplacées à l’intérieur de leur pays pour assurer que toutes ces personnes qui sont nés sur le territoire disposent d’un acte de naissance.
Central African Republic D’ici 2022, la République Centrafricaine s’engage à simplifier et faciliter l’accès à la délivrance des documents attestant de la nationalité aux rapatriés d’origine centrafricaine (anciens réfugiés) qui sont rentrés sur le territoire centrafricain dans le cadre d’un rapatriement volontaire avec l’assistance de l’UNHCR et qui n’ont pas ou plus des documents attestant de leur nationalité centrafricaine et y ont droit.
Central African Republic La République Centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à adhérer à la convention de 1954 relative au statut des apatrides au plus tard d’ici juin 2020 et à mettre pleinement en œuvre ces dispositions dans sa législation interne.
Central African Republic La République centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à adhérer à la convention de 1961 sur la réduction des cas d’apatridie au plus tard d’ici juin 2020 et à mettre pleinement en œuvre ces dispositions dans sa législation interne.
Central African Republic D’ici 2020 et au plus tard d’ici fin 2021, la République centrafricaine, en collaboration avec d’autres acteurs régionaux tels que la Commission pour la Communauté Economique et Monétaire des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale et l’UNHCR, s’engage par la présente à entreprendre et à publier une étude pour mieux comprendre la situation des individus et des groupes d’apatrides ou à risque d’apatridie vivant sur son territoire et/ou relevant de sa juridiction, dans l’optique de trouver une solution à leur situation.
Central African Republic D’ici décembre 2019, la République Centrafricaine s’engage par la présente à finaliser et adopter un plan national visant à éradiquer l’apatridie en République centrafricaine d’ici 2024.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à etablir une procédure de détermination spécifique a l’apatridie pour accorder un statut de protection aux personnes apatrides identifiés sur son territoire.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à améliorer l’accès aux procédures d’enregistrement des naissances y compris l’enregistrement tardif des naissances pour garantir l’enregistrement universel des naissances.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à délivrer les documents d’identité a tous les tchadiens de retour au pays avec un accent particulier sur les retournes de la République centrafricaine et ceux du bassin du Lac-Tchad estimes a plus de 30,000 personnes.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à inclure une ou plusieurs questions dans le prochain recensement national de la population, pour identifier les apatrides vivant sur le territoire national.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à adopter un plan national de lutte contre l’apatridie.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à travailler avec le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les Refugies pour sensibiliser l’opinion nationale et favoriser une compréhension commune de l’apatridie au cours des 5 prochaines années de la campagne #j’appartiens visant à éradiquer l’apatridie.
Chad Le Gouvernement de la République du Tchad s’engage par la présente à contribuer à une étude qualitative sous le lead de l’Union Africaine (UA) et de la Commission Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC) pour mieux comprendre la situations des individus et des groups d’apatrides vivant sur son territoire et dans la sous-région, dans l’optique de trouver une solution à leur situation.
Colombia The Government of the Republic of Colombia hereby commits to promote the monitoring of the implementation measures adopted for the prevention of statelessness in the case of children born in Colombia of Venezuelan parents.
Colombia The Government of the Republic of Colombia hereby commits: Once the Migration Law is enacted, through its regulations an administrative procedure will be established to determine the stateless condition.
Colombia To promote before the Congress of the Republic the process of the Bill whereby the Colombian State’s comprehensive migration policy is established, and which includes a legal framework on statelessness.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à: Introduire dans la loi sur la Nationalité des dispositions prévoyant d’accorder la nationalité comorienne aux enfants nés aux Comores qui seraient Apatride et aux enfants d’origine inconnu trouvés dans le pays. Il n’y a pas dans la législation comorienne de discrimination sur les sexes en matière de transmission de la nationalité.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à: simplifier l’accès aux procédures d’enregistrement des naissances auprès des services de l’Etat civil, y compris l’enregistrement tardif. Sensibiliser le mères pour l’enregistrement des enfants nés hors mariage. Beaucoup d’enfants issus des familles défavorisées ne disposent pas encore d’acte de naissance.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à: sensibiliser la population de prendre conscience de l’importance pour tout citoyen de disposer un certificat de nationalité.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à: Signer et ratifier la Convention de 19[5]4 relative au statut des Apatrides et la Convention de 1961 sur la réduction des cas d’Apatridie.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à: mener des enquêtes afin d’identifier les cas d’Apatridie. Il n’y a pas des cas connus officiellement aux Comores.
Comoros Le Gouvernement de l’Union des Comores s’engage par la présente à mettre en place une commission nationale interministérielle (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Ministère de la Justice, Ministère de l’Intérieur, Assemblée Nationale) chargée de prévenir et de lutter contre l’Apatridie.
Congo (Republic of) Le Gouvernement de la République du Congo s’engage par la présente à mettre en place un organe national de détermination du statut et la protection des apatrides.
Congo (Republic of) Le Gouvernement de la République du Congo s’engage par la présente à veiller à ce que toute personne identifiée sans acte de naissance lors du recensement national à vocation d’état civil obtienne un acte de naissance d’ici à 2019.
Faire en sorte qu’il ait zéro enfant en République du Congo sans acte de naissance d’ici 2022.
Congo (Republic of) Le Gouvernement de la République du Congo s’engage par la présente à poursuivre des activités de sensibilisation à l’endroit de la population pour encourager l’enregistrement de chaque naissance.
Congo (Republic of) Finaliser le processus d’adhésion à la convention du 28 septembre 1954 relative au statut des apatrides et à la convention du 30 août 1961 sur la réduction des cas d’apatridie avant la fin de l’année 2019.
Congo (Republic of) Le Gouvernement de la République du Congo s’engage par la présente à entreprendre une étude quantitative et qualitative pour mieux comprendre la situation des groupes et des individus vivant sur son territoire, qui sont apatrides ou risquent de le devenir, en vue de trouver une solution à leur situation et aussi pour disposer des données fiables en la matière.
Congo (Republic of) Achever la réforme législative en cours depuis le 30 mai 2016 portant sur le code des personnes et de la famille afin de supprimer toutes les dispositions discriminatoires et autres articles susceptibles de causer l’apatridie d’ici à 2021.
Congo (Republic of) Le Gouvernement de la République du Congo s’engage par la présente à appuyer le processus d’adoption, de signature et de ratification du protocole à la Charte africaine des droits de l’Homme et des Peuples sur les aspects spécifiques du droit à la nationalité et l’éradication de l’apatridie en Afrique.
Costa Rica The Costa Rican Government undertakes to reduce the time for the resolution of applications to determine the status as a stateless person.
Costa Rica The Government of Costa Rica commits to make periodic visits to areas of the country where a high incidence of possible cases of statelessness or persons at risk of statelessness are identified. During these visits, consultations will be attended, requests may be submitted to start the statelessness determination procedure and interviews will be conducted in the places. This to facilitate access to the procedure for everyone, especially for vulnerable population or have difficulty traveling to the capital.
Costa Rica The Government of Costa Rica hereby commits to make the necessary modifications to the Regulation for the Statelessness Determination Process, Executive Decree 39620-RE-G, the Migration Regulation, Executive Decree 36769-G, and the General Law on Migration and Foreigners Regulation, Executive Decree 19010-G, in order to formally include statelessness regulations, specifically so that stateless persons and applicants for the condition have the chance to request an identification document and a travel document that allows them to leave, travel and enter the country freely.
Costa Rica The Government of Costa Rica hereby commits to generate mechanisms for durable solutions that guarantee the integration of stateless persons. The Costa Rican Government commits to provide accompaniment, follow-up and legal advice to stateless persons declared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, to guarantee that the access to the necessary information is correct and help them to eradicate their status as a stateless person. This accompaniment will consist of providing the corresponding information about the options that are available so that they can make an informed decision about the process of naturalisation or permanent residence that are available. They will also be provided with institutional and legal advice and also support to carry out procedures before governmental instances. The Government of Costa Rica commits to create and provide informative documents about the process of naturalisation and permanent residence. A database will be created, containing the information of all the persons declared stateless, to periodically monitor their integration process.
Costa Rica The Costa Rican Government undertakes to reinforce the mechanisms for the registration of all births in the country, increasing efforts for the registration of births in border areas, indigenous territories and rural areas with difficult access. The Costa Rican Government commits to ensure the presence of workers who will directly assist the population in the field, specifically in the rural areas of the northern border, through the mechanism “Model of differentiated care for the prevention of statelessness in indigenous areas and borders”.
Côte d’Ivoire Le Gouvernement de la République de Côte d’Ivoire s’engage par la présente à introduire dans sa loi sur la nationalité une disposition prévoyant d’accorder la nationalité ivoirienne aux enfants de parents inconnus ou apatrides, nés ou trouvés sur son territoire qui seraient autrement apatrides.
Côte d’Ivoire Le Gouvernement de la République de Côte d’Ivoire s’engage par la présente à reformer la disposition de la loi sur la nationalité qui prévoit que la femme, contrairement à l’homme, ne peut transmettre sa nationalité à ses enfants que si elle est célibataire, divorcée ou veuve.
Côte d’Ivoire Le Gouvernement de la République de Côte d’Ivoire s’engage par la présente à valider les études qualitative et quantitative existantes aux fins de les approfondir pour identifier avec précision le nombre d’apatrides avérés et de personnes en passe de le devenir, vivant sur son territoire, dans l’optique de comprendre leur situation et de trouver une solution définitive à leur problème.
Côte d’Ivoire Le Gouvernement de la République de Côte d’Ivoire s’engage par la présente à adopter son Plan d’Action National pour l’Eradication de l’Apatridie pour donner un cadre de mise en œuvre plus formel et mieux structuré des engagements.
Côte d’Ivoire Le Gouvernement de la République de Côte d’Ivoire s’engage par la présente à supprimer la disposition de sa loi sur la nationalité qui prévoie que la déchéance de la nationalité ivoirienne d’un homme peut être étendue à son conjoint et à ses enfants mineurs, sans considération de leur propre responsabilité dans la commission de la faute sanctionnée.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Le Gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo s’engage par la présente à : Adhérer à la convention de 1961 sur la réduction des cas d’apatridie et celle de 1954 sur le statut des apatrides.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Le Gouvernement de République démocratique du Congo s’engage par la présenté à : Reformer le système d’Etat civil et de production des statistiques vitales, prendre les initiatives telles [qu’identifier les] cas d’apatridie et personnes a risque d’apatridie, institutionnaliser la collecte des données sur les apatrides et personnes a risque d’apatridies ainsi que prévenir l’apatridie par la mise en place de mécanismes nationaux, notamment ; l’enregistrement a l’état civil/la délivrance des documents d’identité nationale.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Le Gouvernement de République démocratique du Congo s’engage par la présenté à : Harmoniser le cadre Legal conformément aux prescrits des conventions suscitées et assurer le respect des standards et principes d’action internationale en matière de nationalité et de prévention de l’apatridie.
Denmark Denmark will work to improve cooperation between relevant authorities regarding the identification of stateless persons.
Denmark Denmark recognizes the overall importance of the statelessness conventions and pledges to continue its efforts for the general avoidance of statelessness.
Eswatini The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini hereby commits to introducing a provision in our nationality law to grant nationality to all children of unknown origin found in our territory and those born in our territory who would otherwise be stateless by 2024.
Eswatini The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini hereby commits to undertake national consultations on gender equality in nationality laws and initiating the necessary reforms to uphold citizens’ equal ability to confer nationality on spouses and children by end of 2024.
Eswatini The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini hereby commits to establish by 2022 a procedure to determine the status of stateless migrants in line with the 1954 Convention.
Eswatini The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini hereby commits to undertake and publish a qualitative and quantitative study by 2021 to better understand the situation of groups and individuals who are stateless or at risk of statelessness in the territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.
Ethiopia The Government of Ethiopia commits to simplify and improve access to birth registration procedures, including late birth registration to ensure universal birth registration to refugee children in our territory.
Gambia By the year 2022, the Gambia commits to introduce a safeguard in its nationality law to grant nationality to children born on the territory including foundlings who would otherwise be stateless.
Gambia Consider legal reform regarding the nationality and citizenship provisions in the 1997 Constitution to facilitate naturalisation of refugees and stateless persons by 2020.
Gambia To include late birth registration into all health facilities, including outreach to Reproductive and Child Health Services across the country, by the end of 2020.
Gambia By the end of 2021, the Gambia commits to undertake and publish a qualitative study to better understand the situation of statelessness groups and individuals living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits to facilitate naturalization for stateless persons by introducing legislative amendment to the law on Citizenship of Georgia aimed at reducing the 10-year residence period required for naturalization in half.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits: The fee for statelessness determination procedures will be reduced in half in order to increase accessibility of the status determination procedure.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits: Georgia will include the stateless status applicants in the emergency outpatient and emergency inpatient care of the State universal healthcare program.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits: Stateless status applicants will enjoy the right to State free legal aid. To this end, applicants will receive both legal counselling and representation to the administrative bodies and courts by the state funded Legal Aid Service.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits: The “door –to-door” campaign to identify and document stateless persons will be undertaken.
Georgia The Government of Georgia hereby commits to work with UNHCR to raise awareness and foster common understanding about statelessness in an inclusive manner.
Germany The Government hereby commits: Germany will examine its reservations towards the Convention on Statelessness from 1961 which were made upon ratification and start a review process within our line ministries to evaluate the necessity of those reservations.
Ghana The Government of Ghana hereby commits to accede to the two Statelessness Conventions by the end of 2021.
Ghana The Government of Ghana hereby commits: To support efforts of UNHCR and UNFPA in identifying groups at risk of Statelessness in Ghana.
Guinea La Gouvernement de la République de Guinée s’engage par la présente à : Adoption à l’horizon 2021 d’une loi sur le statut des personnes apatrides et la Procédure de Détermination du statut d’Apatride.
Guinea La Gouvernement de la République de Guinée s’engage par la présente à : elaboration des textes d’application du Code Civil, notamment en ce qui concerne les certificats de nationalité sécurises.
Guinea La Gouvernement de la République de Guinée s’engage par la présente à : Suivi de la mise en œuvre de la Stratégie nationale de la reforme et de la modernisation de l’état civil en Guinée 2018-2022.
Guinea-Bissau The Government of Guinea-Bissau hereby commits to domesticate the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons through the adoption of laws to protect stateless persons and the establishment of a national statelessness commission.
Guinea-Bissau The Government of Guinea-Bissau hereby commits to expand the presence of mobile birth registration units to the north of the country, and to start registering children’s births in the main health centers in the north of the country before the end of the #IBelong Campaign.
Guinea-Bissau The Government of Guinea-Bissau hereby commits to finalize the issuance and distribution of the following documents: identification cards for refugees that are 8-years-old or above; birth certificates for refugees under 8 years of age; and certificates of nationality for all 7000 naturalized refugees through a simplified process with reduced costs.
Guyana The Government of Cooperative Republic of Guyana hereby commits to continue to simplify and improve access to birth registration procedures including late birth registration to ensure universal birth registration.
Guyana The Government of Cooperative Republic of Guyana hereby commits to ensure that particular groups which are entitled to nationality under law, but that have not acquired documentary proof of nationality, are able to do so, by improving access of such persons to individual nationality documentation services.
Guyana The Government of Cooperative Republic of Guyana hereby commits over the remaining years of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness, Guyana, commits to work with the UNHCR, to raise awareness and foster common understanding about statelessness nationally, with outreach activities, especially in remote locations of Guyana.
Guyana The Government of Cooperative Republic of Guyana hereby commits to implement its obligations under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in a manner that is inclusive of stateless persons in its territory.
Haiti Le Gouvernement de Haiti s’engage par la présente à réviser la législation sur la nationalité.
Haiti Le Gouvernement de Haiti s’engage par la présente à simplifier et améliorer l’accès aux procédures d’enregistrement des naissances afin de prévenir le risque d’apatridie dans les zones rurales et d’accès très difficile.
Haiti Le Gouvernement de Haiti s’engage par la présente à poursuivre la réforme de l’état civil.
Indonesia The Government of the Republic of Indonesia hereby commits to increase the scope of operation and the provision of infrastructure related to its national citizenship registry.
Indonesia The Government of the Republic of Indonesia hereby commits to increase the utilisation of a digital platform for citizenship registry and citizenship documentations such as the issuance of birth certificate and single identity number.
Indonesia The Government of Indonesia hereby commits to enhance cooperation with UNHCR in handling refugees and asylum seekers.
Indonesia The Government of the Republic of Indonesia hereby commits to work with all countries, particularly the two Statelessness Conventions, to learn together, increase capacities, and exchange technology in addressing statelessness.
Islamic Republic of Mauritania Le Gouvernement de la République du Mauritanie s’engage par la présente à : Délivrer des actes de naissances à tous les enfants nés en Mauritanie.
Islamic Republic of Mauritania Le Gouvernement de la République du Mauritanie s’engage par la présente à : Enregistrer tous les refugies auprès des services de l’état civil afin d’obtenir un numéro d’identification national et permettre leur inclusion dans les systèmes statistiques nationaux.
Islamic Republic of Mauritania Le Gouvernement de la République du Mauritanie s’engage par la présente à : Faciliter l’accès aux services d’enregistrement et de documentation des faits d’état civil a tous les refugies en Mauritanie.
Islamic Republic of Mauritania Le Gouvernement de la République du Mauritanie s’engage par la présente à : Accéder à la Convention de 1961 dans les cinq années à venir de la Campagne #J’appartiens.
Kazakhstan The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan hereby commits to improve access to birth registration procedures through amendment of the national legislation to ensure that every child is registered at birth.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: By 2020, recognize and register Kenyan citizens members of the Shona community, who qualify for citizenship under the law.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: By 2023, complete legal reforms to address and remedy statelessness in Kenya permanently.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: Continue to provide protection to stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness to ensure that they enjoy their basic human rights.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: By 2020, enact a new Births and Deaths Registration Act that provides safeguards to prevent statelessness.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: By 2021, accede to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: By 2019, re-establish taskforce on statelessness.
Kenya The Government of Kenya hereby commits: In 2019, validate the draft National Action Plan to eradicate Statelessness followed by its implementation.
Kyrgyz Republic By the end of 2020, the Kyrgyz Republic commits to adopt Regulation for determining the legal status of a stateless person.
Kyrgyz Republic By the end of 2020, the Kyrgyz Republic commits to ensure birth registration and documentation by providing birth registration certificates of the Kyrgyz Republic to those children who do not have birth registration.
Kyrgyz Republic The Kyrgyz Republic commits to bring the national legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of birth registration in accordance with international standards to ensure registration of birth of every child born in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Kyrgyz Republic The Kyrgyz Republic commits to intensify its work on studying the experience of other State parties to the UN Conventions of 1954 and 1961 on statelessness.
Lesotho The Government of Kingdom of Lesotho hereby commits to adopt by 2020 the bill on nationality that grants nationality to children of unknown origin found on its territory, and provides for a safeguard to grant nationality to children born on its territory who would otherwise be stateless.
Lesotho The Government of the Kingdom Lesotho hereby commits to undertake by 2020 a study publishing a qualitative study to better understand the situation of groups and individuals, who are stateless or at the risk of being stateless, staying in her territory.
Liberia The Government of Liberia hereby commits to work with key parliamentary members for the passage of the amended Aliens and Nationality Law to address issues of gender discrimination in Liberia. The current Aliens and Nationality Law of Liberia (ANL) discriminates against Liberian women who have children with foreign nationals from passing on their nationality automatically to their children like their male counterparts. This section 20 of the ANL has to be aligned with the Liberian Constitution (Article 28); to review the Aliens and Nationality Law to ensure protection against denial of nationality on discriminatory grounds, such as disability or medical reasons.
Liberia The Government of Liberia hereby commits to work with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and UNFPA on inclusion of questions of statelessness in the 2020 census questionnaire.
Liberia Adoption of the National Action Plan: The Government of Liberia is a signatory to the two Statelessness Conventions but has not domesticated the Conventions. In 2015, the LRRRC and UNHCR jointly organised key stakeholders (including Government and civil society & NGO and UN actors) to draft a National Action Plan which is pending endorsement by the Cabinet to form the basis for government and UNHCR’s intervention on statelessness issues.
Lithuania The Government of the Republic of Lithuania hereby commits to amend the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania and ensure that citizenship of Lithuania is granted to children born on the territory of Lithuania if their parents are stateless persons holding a residence permit, either permanent or temporary.
Lithuania The Government of the Republic of Lithuania hereby commits to assess whether the absence of dedicated legal provisions for determination of statelessness poses problems to any-one in practice.
Lithuania The Government of the Republic of Lithuania hereby commits to carry out an analysis in every single case in order to clarify why stateless persons are not applying for citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, even if they are eligible.
Malawi The Government of the Republic of Malawi hereby commits: Commits to review Nationality/Citizenship Law, and, within this process to consider the introduction of a provision to grant nationality to children of unknown origin found in their territory who would otherwise be stateless, and will put a safeguard in the law to grant nationality to children born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless.
Malawi The Government of the Republic of Malawi hereby commits: Establish a procedure to determine the status of stateless migrants in line with the 1954 convention.
Malawi The Government of the Republic of Malawi hereby commits: To accede to the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and also on the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration following a completion of a consultation exercise with relevant stakeholders.
Malawi The Government of the Republic of Malawi hereby commits: To undertake and publish a qualitative study by June 2020 to better understand the situation of groups and individuals staying on its territory, who are stateless or at risk of statelessness, with a view to finding a solution to their situation
Mali Le Gouvernement du Mali s’engage par la présente à mener des reformes juridiques pour garantir qu’aucun enfant ne naisse apatride au Mali. Cet engagement intègre la rédaction et la publication d’un décret d’application du Code de la Nationalité de 2011, ainsi que la modification des dispositions pertinentes de la Loi n°11-080/AN-RM du 02 décembre 2011 Titre V relative à la Nationalité.
Mali Le Gouvernement du Mali s’engage par la présente à s’engage à mettre en place une procédure de détermination du statut d’apatridie, conformément aux standards internationaux pertinents et l’action [6] de l’action correspondante du Plan d’Action Mondial. Cet engagement intègre la Mise en place de Procédures de Détermination de l’Apatridie (PDA).
Mali Le Gouvernement du Mali s’engage par la présente à assurer l’enregistrement tardif des naissances des enfants.
Mali Le Gouvernement du Mali s’engage par la présente à améliorer les données quantitatives et qualitatives sur les populations apatrides au Mali. Cet engagement intègre l’inclusion de questions permettant des inférences sur le risque d’apatridie dans le prochain recensement général de la population prévue en 2020 et dans les exercices similaires subséquents. Cet engagement inclus la finalisation et la publication des résultats de l’étude qualitative sur l’apatridie au Mali, validée en mai 2019.
Malta The Government of the Republic of Malta hereby commits: accession to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
Montenegro The Government of Montenegro hereby commits to continuously strengthen government institutions with the aim to implement the statelessness determination procedure and to harmonize/amend national legislation, in particular in the area of social care, health care and employment, to secure unhindered access to rights for persons granted stateless status in Montenegro.
Montenegro The Government of Montenegro hereby commits to continue the collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Interior aimed to maintain constant communication between the Ministry of Interior’s Branch Offices and the Municipal Centres for Social Care, in order to conduct immediate birth registration of children abandoned by their mothers, or whose mothers are missing identification documents, and through that remove the main risk for statelessness.
Montenegro The Government of Montenegro hereby commits to continue to implement simplified procedures for obtaining identification documents, both at the national level and through continuous cooperation with the respective countries of origin (Republic of Serbia, Kosovo (S/RES/1244(1999)), Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republic of Croatia), as well as to enable access to the status of foreigner with permanent residence to all refugees from former Yugoslavia still in need of support, with the aim of addressing all pending cases latest by 2023, with UNHCR’s support.
Montenegro The Government of Montenegro hereby commits to share with other countries its experience acquired in the process of prevention of statelessness, in particular in the area of the establishment of the statelessness determination procedure, the development of favourable legal regimes for persons displaced after conflict, and support provided to the ground work of mobile teams of other countries in Montenegro (Mobile Team of Kosovo (S/RES/1244(1999))), tasked to issue personal documents to undocumented persons.
Mozambique Conduct a study on statelessness in the country by 2022 to identify aspects that can be improved in preventing, combating and eliminating statelessness.
Namibia The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to introduce a provision in its nationality law to grant nationality to children of unknown origin found in its territory.
Namibia The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: To accede and or ratify the 1954 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Stateless Persons as well as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the 2009 AU Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internal Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) by 2020.
Namibia The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to identify stateless persons in all regions and to undertake and publish a qualitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.
Namibia The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to fully implement the Action Plan on the Eradication of Statelessness in Namibia.
Niger Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger s’engage par la présente à: d’ici 2024, le Niger s’engage à modifier la loi régissant les questions de nationalité afin de garantir l’attribution de la nationalité dès la naissance aux enfants nés au Niger et qui seraient autrement apatrides, ainsi qu’aux enfants trouvés.
Niger Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger s’engage à mettre en place une procédure pour reconnaître un statut aux personnes apatrides, sur la base de la Convention de 1954 relative au statut d’apatride à laquelle le Niger a adhéré en 2014.
Niger Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger s’engage par la présente à: d’ici 2020, le Niger s’engage à entreprendre et publier une étude qualitative pour mieux comprendre les causes de l’apatridie et les groupes à risques d’apatridie vivant dans l’ensemble du territoire, dans le but de trouver une solution à leur situations.
Niger Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger s’engage par la présente à: le Niger s’engage à continuer de soutenir les efforts mis en place pour l’autonomisation des populations réfugiées Maliennes, Nigérianes, et d’autres nationalités, les personnes déplacées internes (PDI) et autres personnes à besoin de protection internationale se trouvant sur son territoire. Cet engagement passe par le renforcement des opportunités d’intégration sociale, profesionnelle, économique pour ces populations au sein de l’Etat, tels que prescrits dans les documents cadres de développement d’ici 2024.
Niger Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger s’engage par la présente à: Le Niger s’engage à maintenir un environnement d’asile protecteur, notamment pour les personnes présentes dans les flux migratoires mixtes à ses frontières. Ceci implique le renforcement des mécanismes d’accueil et de protection aux frontières d’ici 2021.
Nigeria The Government of Nigeria hereby commits to introduce regulations for the registration of offspring of naturalized citizens as Nigerians.
Nigeria The Government of Nigeria hereby commits to establishing a Statelessness Determination Procedure to identify stateless persons, grant protection status and facilitate appropriate solutions.
Nigeria The Government of Nigeria hereby commits to scale up issuance of birth registration and national identity numbers, including to IDPs, refugees and returnees.
Nigeria The Government of Nigeria hereby commits to publishing a qualitative study, with a view to finding solutions.
Nigeria The Government of Nigeria hereby commits to undertake law reforms on registration of children born on Nigerian territory who would otherwise be stateless and children under 10 years of unknown origin; as well as equality for spouse on the acquisition, change and retention of nationality upon civil registration.
North Macedonia The Republic of North Macedonia hereby commits: To ratify the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Panama The Republic of Panama will establish an Interinstitutional Commission that will facilitate the implementation of Executive Decree NO. 10 of January 16, 2019, which regulates Law 28 of March 30, 2011, which approves the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons of 1954, and establishes a procedure for determining statelessness within the administrative structure.
Panama Ensure that no child is born stateless and ensure birth registration to prevent statelessness. The Electoral Tribunal, through the National Directorate of the Civil Registry and the National Identification Directorate, will continue with the development and execution of the program “timely registration of births as a mechanism to guarantee identity, nationality, and identification, thereby preventing the risk of Statelessness.” It will also continue with the binational identity days, with their counterparts from the Republic of Costa Rica and the Republic of Colombia.
Panama The Republic of Panama will develop a training, awareness and dissemination program for officials competent in this area, developing efforts jointly with ministries and entities that have contact with the population mainly in border areas, areas of difficult access and urban areas, including population in general in relation to the Convention and Executive Degree 10 of 2019, with the objective that they can determine a possible case of a person at risk of statelessness. It is expected to have quantitative and qualitative data procedure of the stateless population in the Republic of Panama.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to enhance the policy, legal, and operational framework for stateless persons to ensure their full access to rights as guaranteed by the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons including their facilitated naturalization and as may be provided by national laws.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to improve access of vulnerable and marginalized populations to documentation through birth and civil registration.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to continue the process of accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to continue the study of statelessness, with a thrust to improve qualitative and quantitative data on populations at risk of statelessness in the Philippines and among its nationals, in continuation of efforts initiated in 2011.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to continue leadership in Southeast Asia in the development of a human rights framework and provide technical support to other States in dealing with issues relating to stateless persons.
Philippines The Government of the Philippines hereby commits to cooperate with UNHCR by supporting projects, continuing fund contributions, and by building or expanding partnerships.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to enact the amendments of nationality laws facilitating the naturalisation of stateless persons. The government of Rwanda acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the status of stateless persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2006 and effective implementation of these instruments needs their alignment with domestic nationality laws. A new nationality law that will cater for the naturalisation of stateless persons has been initiated to replace the current Organic Law no 30/2008 of 25/07/2008 relating to Rwandan nationality. The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration is responsible for ensuring the enactment process of the amendments of the nationality law and such law is expected to be passed by the Parliament by June 2020.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to improve access to late birth registration for refugees in line with the principle of universal birth registration in order to ensure that all refugees born in Rwanda have their birth registered and have a birth certificate or civil status ruling. This commitment is already under implementation as the government of Rwanda in 2006 enacted a new law on persons and family in order to ensure that every child is registered immediately after birth and the condition of making late registration through the court is removed and the fine is waived for registering orphans. In the same context, it is planned to have regular Civil Registration week in refugee camps to raise awareness in registering new birth and give awards to Civil Registrar office that perform well. After every registration, a birth record will be issued and make sure that all adults have a refugee card. This action will be carried out by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Local Government and the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration and though the action is continuous by the campaign and giving awards will be launched by 2020.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to ensuring that former refugees of Rwandan origin who opted for local integration in their respective host country and whose refugee status was ceased by the respective asylum authority, and who are entitled to nationality documents and willing to obtain these documents, but have not yet acquired them are able to do so. This activity has been being implemented by the Rwandan embassies along with the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration and National Identification Agency. In order to ensure the success of the activity, a set of activities have been planned that include the reinforcing Come and See event whereby some refugees come in Rwanda for visit and return to their host countries after getting National ID and Passport, undertake awareness in the countries hosting Rwandan refugees by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration officials and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Rwandan Embassies. This action is expected to be ongoing but the intensive awareness has to be conducted until 2024 to avoid possible loss of connection with their country of origin.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to include the question of statelessness in the next national population and housing census that is expected to take place in 2022. In order to get the exact number and profile of stateless persons in Rwanda while minimising the cost of exercise, it is being planned to include variable of statelessness and the statelessness officers will work hand in hand with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. The results from the exercise to identify and get the exact number of stateless persons in Rwanda are expected to be available early 2023.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to granting or confirming nationality of all stateless persons and their descendants living on Rwanda territory. After amendment of the nationality law and getting the number and the profile of the stateless persons in Rwanda, the next action will be to naturalise all persons who will have been found stateless or at risk of statelessness in accordance with the provisions of the law. The persons with confirmed nationality will be connected to their country of origin to get documentation. The action of granting or confirming nationality of all stateless persons and their descendants living on Rwandan territory will be coordinated by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration by 2024.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to establish a National Taskforce on Statelessness: it will consist of selecting offices from relevant institutions and set up a Concept Note and Terms of Reference which shall guide the work of the taskforce. The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) shall be the initiating institution and the coordinator of the activities. The establishment of a National task force on Statelessness and related activities are expected to be completed by February 2020.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to prepare and adopt a national action plan to eradicate statelessness. This commitment will be following the establishment of a National Taskforce on Statelessness. The National Action Plan will be made up by actions that are needed to be taken in the particular context of the country in ending statelessness such as reviewing the nationality laws in favour of ending statelessness, ensuring birth registration, issuing documentations and keeping the momentum in having anti gender discrimination law. As the government of Rwanda made commitment on ending Statelessness in successive forums, National Action Plan will be implemented until the end of 2024. The implementation of the National Action Plan will involve various different institutions under the coordination of the DGIE.
Rwanda The government of Rwanda hereby commits to contribute to the adoption and subsequent ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Specific Aspects of the Right to Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. Being a party to both conventions on statelessness reflects the commitment Rwanda has in the fight against statelessness, it is in this context Rwanda has been continentally at the forefront in taking actions aimed at ending statelessness through its various policies such as gender equality, civil registration and documentation for everyone. It therefore participated in the drafting of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s RIghts on the RIghts to Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. The Government of Rwanda is ready to sign and ratify it once adopted and will encourage other countries to do so. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will lead this action.
Senegal Le Gouvernement de la République du Sénégal s’engage par la présente à mettre en place un cadre normatif, institutionnel et opérationnel de détermination du statut d’apatridie.
Senegal Le Gouvernement de la République du Sénégal s’engage par la présente à parachever l’enregistrement des faits d’état civil des réfugiés nés au Sénégal et éligibles à l’acquisition de la nationalité sénégalaise.
Senegal Le Gouvernement de la République du Sénégal s’engage par la présente à délivrer des actes documents administratifs tenant lieu d’acte de naissance aux réfugiés nés hors du Sénégal.
Senegal Le Gouvernement de la République du Sénégal s’engage par la présente à adopter officiellement un Plan d’actions national de lutte contre l’apatridie.
Sierra Leone The Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to resolve existing major situations of statelessness regarding conferment of nationality to persons that are stateless or at risk of being stateless by 2024.
Sierra Leone The Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to establish a statelessness determination procedure to determine and assist stateless people, among migrants and those with undetermined nationality to acquire or confirm their nationality with effective, efficient and sustainable support from policy programmes in the country (e.g. social safety net, micro enterprise group, self-help affinity group).
Sierra Leone The Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to gather qualitative and quantitative data on Stateless persons by 2021.
Sierra Leone The Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to endorse the launch of the National Action Plan of Statelessness by mid 2020.
Sierra Leone The Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to build the capacity of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other advocacy organisations (through trainings) to continue to protect and assist stateless persons in protracted situations.
Somalia By 31 December 2020, the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia commits to accede to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and to the 1961 Convention Relating to the Reduction of Statelessness.
Somalia By 31 December 2020, the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia commits to conduct and publish a qualitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals and groups at risk of statelessness living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.
South Sudan By 2021, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan commits to reform its nationality law to introduce safeguards to grant nationality to children born on the territory of South Sudan who otherwise would be stateless. This will ensure that gaps in national legislation are addressed leading to prevention of childhood statelessness.
South Sudan By 2021, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan commits to ensure access to birth registration procedures for all born on the territory of South Sudan including simplified late birth registration in order to ensure free and universal birth registration. This initiative accompanied by strengthened infrastructural and capacity support will enable registration of all children in remote locations including late birth registration across the country.
South Sudan By 2022, the Republic of South Sudan commits to ensure that particular groups identified as being at risk of statelessness and which are entitled to nationality under the nationality law but are not able to acquire documentary proof of their nationality, are able to do so by improving their access to nationality documentation services.
South Sudan By 2020, the Republic of South Sudan commits to accede to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
South Sudan By the end of 2019, the Republic of South Sudan commits to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) to Eradicate Statelessness by 2024. This process will engage various stakeholders and will pave the way to accession by South Sudan to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The NAP will also facilitate harmonization of national priorities and legislative and administrative initiatives in line with the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2014-2024.
Sweden Sweden has a pending government decision on establishing a government led Inquiry on Nationality. The inquiry will among other issues look at further measures to limit statelessness, including if certain children born stateless in Sweden could acquire nationality automatically at birth, instead of through the current simplified notification process.
Sweden The Government of Sweden hereby commits: Withdrawing two reservations concerning the 1954 Convention – one relating to article 8 on exceptional measures and one on article 24.1b on labour legislation and social security, as well as the corresponding reservations in the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Sweden The number of stateless persons being granted Swedish nationality has been increasing annually from 1 700 persons in 2014 to 5 600 persons in 2018. The past five years, more than 22 000 stateless persons have been granted Swedish nationality. Sweden is closely following the development of stateless persons in Sweden.
Sweden The UNHCR report on the assessments made in the mapping of statelessness in Sweden has been examined in the Government Offices. In order to make improvements in our efforts to address statelessness we have initiated measures to ensure that challenges highlighted in the study will be addressed. In particular, the government has initiated a dialogue with the responsible national agencies to discuss registration of statelessness, nationality and “unknown” nationality. Through increased cooperation and consultation between the authorities our belief is that improvements will be made to limit the existing inconsistencies in registration. The government follows the progress made.
Tajikistan The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan hereby commits to consider the issue of legalization of persons illegally residing on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan (Amnesty Law).
Tajikistan To complete the Civil Registration System reform in the country, securing safeguards for universal child birth registration regardless of the legal status and possession of identity documents by parents.
Tajikistan The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan hereby commits to consider the issue of ratification of 1954 and 1961 Conventions.
Tajikistan The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan hereby commits within the National Census of the Population and the Housing Stock planned for 2020 to explore the scale of statelessness through identification of persons at risk of statelessness, stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to expedite process to address statelessness among the elderly.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to promote access to education for stateless children.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to enhance social protection for stateless persons.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to enhance effectiveness of the systems to facilitate stateless persons to access civil registration services.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to enhance partnership among all sectors of the society to raise awareness on the roles, duties, rights, and process regarding birth and civil registration of stateless persons, especially the hard-to-reach population.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to adjust regulations for granting nationality and civil rights to cover target groups to access naturalization process equally and equitably.
Thailand The Royal Thai Government hereby commits to promote international and regional cooperation in addressing statelessness.
Turkmenistan To update the registration of stateless persons, and thereby by undertaking a widespread registration campaign, to have a comprehensive statistical picture of the SDGs’ implementation and ensure that all stateless persons have a fundamental right – right to citizenship.
Turkmenistan Resolve all identified cases of statelessness through granting citizenship, updating determination mechanisms of the legal status of statelessness persons and assistance in their naturalization, as well as reforms of the birth registration system, improvement of data gathering on stateless persons as well as access to data.
Turkmenistan To achieve an eradication of the birth registration risk of children of undocumented people, as well as to overhaul the methodology on defining the status of stateless persons with consideration of covering the statelessness issue in the upcoming 2022 Population Census, through realization of the National Action Plan by state bodies with participation of international organizations and civil sector.
Uganda By 2024, introduce and implement safeguard in its nationality law to grant nationality to children born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless.
Uganda By 2024, introduce a law reform to prevent denial or attribution of nationality at birth on discriminatory grounds.
Uganda By 2024, ensure that the Maragoli, Benet, Ugandan-Asian and other unrecognised communities present in Uganda since before 1926 are recognised as citizens of Uganda.
Uganda Accede to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Uganda By 2021, complete a legal study on statelessness and citizenship in order to better understand and address the factors leaving certain populations stateless or at risk of statelessness and to support comprehensive legal and constitutional reform.
Uganda The Government of Uganda hereby commits by the end of 2019, to finalise and approve the National Action Plan to serve as the national strategy to eradicate statelessness in the country by 2024.
United States of America The Government of the United States of America hereby commits to engage in strong U.S. diplomacy to advocate for the prevention and reduction of statelessness, and to provide U.S. humanitarian assistance to help protect stateless persons.
United States of America The Government of the United States of America hereby commits to conduct an external evaluation of the efforts by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) to prevent and reduce statelessness.
United States of America The Government of the United States of America hereby commits to champion the goal of achieving nationality law reforms in the 25 countries that currently do not allow women to confer citizenship on their children on an equal basis with men.
Uruguay The Government of Uruguay here commits: over the remaining years of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness, Uruguay commits to work with UNHCR to raise awareness and foster common understanding about statelessness, and to urge States that are yet to accede to one or both of the UN statelessness conventions to do so before the year 2024.
Uruguay The Government of Uruguay hereby commits: Uruguay commits to the effective implementation of the national law on statelessness (N° 19.682), in order to ensure that all identified cases of statelessness are properly addressed.
Zambia The Government of the Republic of Zambia hereby commits: Complete, by 2021, the issuance of the residence permits to all former refugees who have opted to locally integrate in Zambia, and to facilitate their naturalization.
Zambia The Government of the Republic of Zambia hereby commits: Facilitate, by 2023, naturalization procedures for stateless persons and their children to acquire nationality.
Zambia The Government of the Republic of Zambia hereby commits: Simplify and improve, by 2023, access to birth registration and certification, for persons born in Zambia, including late birth registration, to ensure universal birth registration for all children, including refugees and asylum seekers born on the territory.
Zambia The Government of the Republic of Zambia hereby commits to ensure, by 2020, the accession to the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Zambia The Government of the Republic of Zambia hereby commits: Support the adoption of the draft Regional Action Plan to end statelessness in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region so that the region moves in tandem with the rest of the world.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2023, establish a dedicated statelessness determination procedure to identify stateless persons within the territory and grant them protection status with an aim to solutions.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2024, simplify and improve access to birth registration procedures, including issuance of birth certificates to descendants of former migrant workers and failed asylum seekers to ensure universal birth registration.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders towards the accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness by 2023.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2021, undertake and publish a qualitative and quantitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Include a question or questions in its next national census in 2022 to identify stateless persons living in its territory.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2023, complete the ongoing process of aligning its Citizenship Act [Chapter 4:01] and Births and Deaths Registration Act [Chapter 5:02] with the new Constitution (Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act. 20 1.1) in ensuring the proper safeguards in preventing statelessness.
Zimbabwe The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Based on the findings of the study, develop a National Action Plan by 2022 in ending statelessness by 2024.
Organization Pledge
African Union Commission The African Union Commission commits to continue mainstreaming statelessness into the AU Commission’s work until the end of 2024 by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on statelessness and groups at risk through the implementation of the Nouakchott Declaration and the operationalization of programs such as the Africa Programme for Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS).
African Union Commission No later than by the end of 2020 the African Union Commission commits to submit the draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Specific Aspects of the Right to Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness in Africa for adoption by the AU Assembly.
African Union Commission Throughout 2020 and no later than by end of 2024, the AUC commits to support further research on the nexus between forced displacement, protracted refugee situation, and statelessness in Africa in continuation with the African Union theme of the year for 2019“Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”.
African Union Commission In 2019 and beyond, the African Union Commission commits to strengthen the African Union’s capacity building and training initiatives on statelessness by fully integrating statelessness issues in its capacity building and training initiative named “Livingstone Syllabus”.
African Union Commission Throughout 2019 and beyond, and in cooperation with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Refugees, IDPs and Migrants and the Pan-African Parliament, the African Union Commission commits to advocate for AU Member State ratification and implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Specific Aspects of the Right to Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness in Africa (once adopted) and other relevant international conventions on statelessness.
CLARCIEV (Latin American and Caribbean Council) CLARCIEV hereby commits to continue functioning as a regional forum to promote universal birth registration, the issuance of identity documents that prove nationality and promote actions to prevent and resolve statelessness.
CLARCIEV (Latin American and Caribbean Council) CLARCIEV hereby commits to promote the development and implementation of national, bilateral and multilateral projects aimed at achieving the goal of eradicating statelessness, especially in the context of large movements of refugees and migrants, in collaboration and with the support of UNHCR and international/regional cooperation institutions and from civil society, when applicable.
CLARCIEV (Latin American and Caribbean Council) CLARCIEV hereby commits to promote the interoperability of national databases (migratory and refugee) with appropriate protection safeguards.
CLARCIEV (Latin American and Caribbean Council) CLARCIEV hereby commits to take as a primary consideration the best interest of children in the identification and documentation of asylum seekers and refugees.
Council of Europe Dans le cadre de ses activités intergouvernementales, le Conseil de l’Europe s’engage par la présente à promouvoir l’adhésion de tous ses (47) États membres à la Convention européenne sur la nationalité (STE n166) et à la Convention sur la prévention des cas d’apatridie en relation avec la succession d’Etats (STCE n200). Encourager ses Etats membres ayant formulé des réserves sur les conventions précitées à les retirer, en gardant à l’esprit l’objet et les objectifs de ses conventions. Soutenir, en parallèle, la campagne du HCR qui incite tous les etats à adhérer à la Convention de 1954 relative au statut des apatrides et à la Convention de 1961 sur la réduction des cas d’apatridie.
Council of Europe Mener, en étroite coopération avec le HCR, des activités de soutien aux (47) Etats membres visant à mettre en place ou, le cas échéant, améliorer le fonctionnement des procédures de détermination d’apatridie, renforcer la protection des personnes apatrides prévue par le droit international et leur permettre d’accéder à leurs droits, dont celui d’acquérir une nationalité. Promouvoir le droit de tout enfant apatride d’avoir accès à son acte de naissance et aux documents d’état civil le concernant. Dans ses activités de soutien, le Conseil de l’Europe prendra notamment en compte les principes énoncés dans la Recommandation n R (99) 18 du Comité des Ministres sur la prévention et la réduction des cas d’apatridie et ceux de la Recommandation CM/Rec(2009)13 du Comité des Ministres sur la nationalité des enfants. Les activités de soutien prendront la forme de réunion(s) technique(s) permettant aux experts gouvernementaux de partager leurs expériences et bonne pratique en matière d’amélioration des procédures de détermination et de résolution de l’apatridie, de protection des personnes apatrides et d’accès à leurs droits.
Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) La Commission de la CEMAC s’engage, au plus tard le 30 décembre 2021, à soutenir et à encadrer l’élaboration d’une étude sur les apatrides et les personnes à risque d’apatridie en Afrique Centrale afin d’améliorer la disponibilité des données sur les questions d’apatridie, de nationalité et de preuves de l’identité juridique et de proposer des solutions pour éradiquer ces situations identifiées.
Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) La Commission de la Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (ci-après, CEMAC) s’engage par la présente à faciliter la nomination, sur les questions d’apatridie, des points focaux gouvernementaux et de leurs suppléants dans tous les Etats membres de la CEMAC au plus tard le 30 décembre 2019.
Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) La Commission de la CEMAC s’engage à développer, d’ici 2020, un Plan d’action régional pour éradiquer l’apatridie en Afrique Centrale, en conformité aux résolutions exprimées dans l’Initiative de N’Djaména adoptée par ses États membres et ses États partenaires le 12 décembre 2018. Elle s’engage également, pour faciliter la compréhension de la pertinence de ce Plan d’action régional, à déployer en 2020 de vastes campagnes de communication sur le phénomène d’apatridie et sur ses conséquences.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Advocate and demonstrate leadership in the implementation of the Banjul Plan of Action and on the Eradication of Statelessness in its entirety. In particular, ECOWAS Commission will prioritize the following activities over the next five years: a. Enhance the Implementation of Community legal texts relating to the Issuance of ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Cards and ECOWAS Passports; b. Ensure that the provisions related to integration and protection of stateless persons are applied to guarantee the rights of stateless persons in line with Objective 3.2.5 of the Banjul Plan of Action.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Provide technical resources for the effective implementation of the Banjul Plan of Action.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Coordinate the implementation of the Banjul Plan of Action and produce periodic progress reports on its implementation.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Organize periodic High-level consultations amongst ECOWAS Institutions and Members states.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Mainstream statelessness into on-going policy advocacy and programmes.

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union pledges to engage young parliamentarians and women parliamentarians in efforts to address statelessness, in particular in addressing gender-based discrimination in nationality laws.
Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union pledges to raise awareness of parliaments, monitor progress and draw attention to legislative and other reforms to address statelessness at each IPU Assembly.
Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union pledges to provide support to parliaments concerned in reforming nationality laws to prevent statelessness and addressing discrimination in law.
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region of Africa (ICGLR) The ICGLR Secretariat hereby commits to steer the development and the operationalization of a regional policy and programmatic framework on civil registration including birth registration for the prevention of statelessness by 2023.
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region of Africa (ICGLR) The ICGLR Secretariat hereby commits to support research on people at risk of statelessness and stateless persons in the Great Lakes Region to improve the availability of data on statelessness and nationality issues by 2021.
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region of Africa (ICGLR) The ICGLR secretariat hereby commits to support and submit at the next ICGLR Regional Inter-Ministerial committee the consolidated draft action plan of ICGLR on the eradication of statelessness in the Great Lakes Region (2017-2024) for its final adoption by March 2020.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) OHCHR will continue seeking opportunities for joint advocacy with UNHCR and other forms of collaboration on statelessness, in particular to remove gender discrimination in relevant nationality laws.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) OHCHR will seek to increase attention on the issue of statelessness in the context of UN human rights bodies and the UPR process. This commitment is ongoing and to be implemented over the next five years of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2014-2024.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) OHCHR will work jointly with UNHCR to raise awareness about statelessness and its human rights implications and to promote solutions to it. To this end, OHCHR commits to organize, together with UNHCR an event on statelessness and human rights in the course of 2020/2021.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (High Commissioner on National Minorities) The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities hereby commits in line with Action 2 and Action 7 of UNHCR’s Global Action Plan, to exchange information with UNHCR on stateless persons or persons at risk of statelessness and, where within the scope of the mandate, to make recommendations to OSCE participating States on addressing childhood statelessness through improvement of legislation and administrative practices with a view to: i) ensure that no child is born stateless, and; ii) enhance birth registration procedures, particularly in relation to communities at increased risk of statelessness.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (High Commissioner on National Minorities) The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities hereby commits to include an appeal to participating States in his Permanent Council address on supporting UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – ODIHR) OSCE [ODIHR] hereby commits to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to prevent and end statelessness, including its gender dimensions, by organising ‘twinning’ exercises and study visits between participating States to learn from good practices in the OSCE region.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – ODIHR) OSCE [ODIHR] hereby commits to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to prevent and end statelessness by organising regional and county level roundtables to assess progress made in preventing and ending statelessness, with relevant International Organisations.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – ODIHR) OSCE [ODIHR] hereby commits to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to prevent and end statelessness, including its gender dimensions, by providing technical support to participating states to improve their identity management systems (including civil registration and civil identification systems) and to overcome the obstacles faced by the most vulnerable groups, such as Roma and Sinti, in civil registration and provision of documentation.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – ODIHR) OSCE [ODIHR] commits to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to prevent and end statelessness, including its gender dimensions, by updating and developing knowledge tools, and delivering targeted training to OSCE participating States, with relevant expert partners and International Organizations
UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) UNICEF hereby commits: Increased capacity on childhood statelessness: With Coalition partners, support the production of global guidance and materials to strengthen capacity to address the issue of childhood statelessness at national, regional and global levels particularly amongst national governments and civil society stakeholders. • Build the capacity of civil society actors and national governments in understanding and addressing childhood statelessness, through the development and roll-out of an advanced training on childhood statelessness in partnership with the Institute for Statelessness and Inclusion. Building on a pilot of the training to be held in South Africa this year in partnership with UNHCR and civil society stakeholders, UNICEF will expand the programme to two further regions where childhood statelessness is of concern before rolling out globally. • Produce guidance (tools and guidance materials) to build capacity to engage with the United Nations human rights treaty-body system, particularly the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, on childhood statelessness.
UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Advocacy to remove gender discrimination in nationality laws and civil registration laws: Across the world 25 countries still retain laws that deny women the right to pass their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men, while three countries also have laws that deny men the right to pass their nationality to children born outside of legal marriage. Such discrimination is one of the root causes of statelessness among children globally. In 43 countries, discrimination in civil registration laws and policies actively prevent women from registering the birth of their children or obtaining birth certificates. Birth registration is the first step in preventing statelessness because it establishes a legal record as to where a child is born and who her parents are, elements of information key to proving entitlement to nationality. Ending gender discrimination in nationality laws and civil registration laws will not only help not to eliminate childhood statelessness worldwide, but is critical to achieving gender equality, which benefits girls, boys, their families and their societies. In partnership with UNHCR and Coalition Partners and other UN Agencies, including UN Women, and UNFPA, strengthen advocacy at national and regional levels to encourage States to review and revise laws on nationality and civil registration and their implementation to ensure gender equality in line with international human and children’s rights standards. Produce and publish global goods (including advocacy and briefing materials) in support of States’ efforts to revise nationality laws and civil registration laws to include the promotion of gender equality in line with international human and children’s rights standards.
UN Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP hereby commits to strengthening its collaboration with UNHCR on rule of law and governance to jointly strengthen capacities and actions of counterparts at country level. With particular focuses on capacity development support, often in remote local areas where most refugees, IDPs and returnees reside, UNDP commits to joint initiatives that work across the humanitarian-development nexus to strengthen protection and find solutions to forced displacement and statelessness. This includes reinforcing capacities of local government, justice, police and other rule of law actors to incorporate the priorities of refugees and stateless persons as part of development processes, and to ensure they are not left behind accessing basic services, including access to justice and security services.
UN Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP hereby commits: – to strengthening its collaboration with UNHCR on legal identity issues. As a part of our collective effort to assist in implementing SDG16.9 ‘Legal Identity for All by 2030’, UNDP is committed to support Member States building holistic, country-owned, sustainable civil registration, vital statistics and identity management systems in a ‘One UN’ approach. Collaboration with UNHCR in this context, therefore, is extremely important in assisting Member States to grant legal identity (via birth registration or registration in identity management schemes such as national population registers and/or national identity card schemes) to all persons, including non-citizen refugees, those seeking refuge, and stateless persons resident (permanently or temporarily as a result of displacement) on their territory. – to cooperate and fully coordinate with UNHCR (and also with UNICEF, UNDESA and other UN agencies, as part of delivering the UN Legal Identity Agenda) in implementing activities in order to close the global identity gap, including for stateless persons as well as refugees and displaced persons. This will include taking the policy lead from UNHCR on civil registration and legal identity issues directly affecting refugees, displaced and stateless persons, in line with international standards for civil registration, vital statistics and identity management. – to collaborate with UNHCR (and also with UNICEF, UNDESA and other UN agencies, as part of delivering the UN Legal Identity Agenda) on both researching and developing/piloting new innovations in digital technologies for civil registration (such as biometric technology, blockchains, etc), collection of vital statistics and identity management, as they may benefit refuges, displaced persons and stateless persons. – to collaborate with UNHCR (and also with UNICEF, UNDESA and other UN agencies, as part of delivering the UN Legal Identity Agenda) on development of new global best practice, leading to international standards, on privacy and protection of personal data, and in particular for vulnerable groups such as refugees, displaced persons and stateless persons.
Organization Pledge
Central Asian Network on Statelessness The Central Asian Network on Statelessness organization hereby commits to continue to support the Central Asian states in the outreach and identification of stateless persons; streamline the provision of legal aid to stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness, as well as assistance in the reintegration of former stateless persons into society.
Central Asian Network on Statelessness The Central Asian Network on Statelessness organization hereby commits to advocate for and support statelessness prevention measures through promoting the development of national laws and practices in Central Asia aimed at closing the existing gaps (lack of universal birth registration and safeguards in the process of change and loss of citizenship) for preventing new cases of statelessness in the future.
Central Asian Network on Statelessness Central Asian Network on Statelessness organization hereby commits to promote the accession of Central Asian states to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions through conducting advocacy campaigns with decision makers and educational activities for employees of state bodies working with stateless persons.
Dignity Kwanza Dignity Kwanza is hereby commits to advocate for the protection of stateless people and those at risks by supporting the adoption and implementation of the National Action Plan to Eradicate Statelessness in Tanzania which aims at, among other things, resolving existing issue of non-refugee stateless people, ending childhood statelessness, ending gender discrimination on the nationality laws, ensuring birth registration for the prevention of statelessness and creating qualitative and quantitative data of stateless population in Tanzania.
Dignity Kwanza Dignity Kwanza is hereby commits to advocate for the ratification and domestication of the 1954 and 1961 UN Conventions on Statelessness to ensure protection and eradication of statelessness in Tanzania.
Dignity Kwanza Dignity Kwanza is hereby commits to continue to raise awareness and enhance capacity of stateless people or at risk to become stateless, government officials, member of civil society and public at large on laws, realities of stateless persons and measures to prevent and ultimately eradicate statelessness.
Dignity Kwanza Dignity Kwanza hereby commits to advocate for Tanzania’s support to the adoption of Draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Specific Aspect of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa.
East Africa Nationality Network (EANN) EANN hereby commits to advocating for prompt adoption of the “Draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Specific Aspects on the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa” and promote full implementation and domestication of provisions by member states.
East Africa Nationality Network (EANN) EANN hereby commits to supporting the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in implementation and monitoring of its Action Plan to eradicate statelessness, including by supporting identification, providing assistance to groups with difficulties in accessing legal identity documents, such as birth certificates, national IDs and passports.
East Africa Nationality Network (EANN) EANN hereby commits to supporting continued awareness-raising and training of relevant stakeholders, such as affected communities, civil society organisations and governments on international, continental and sub-regional frameworks to eradicate statelessness.
European Network on Statelessness ENS commits to undertake research necessary to expand its Statelessness Index – an online comparative tool that assesses national law, policy and practice – to cover at least half of all Council of Europe Member States by 2020 and at least two thirds of Member States by 2024, as an important resource to help civil society monitor progress made by European states towards meeting their international obligations to stateless people and in seeking to hold governments to account.
European Network on Statelessness ENS commits to continue to act as an interlocutor on behalf of its member organisations spanning over 40 European countries by engaging with and advocating towards the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the adoption of holistic regional strategies that effectively address statelessness within countries across Europe as well as in Europe’s external relations policy.
European Network on Statelessness ENS commits to hold a major pan-regional conference in 2020 for representatives from regional institutions, governments, inter-governmental organisations, NGO, academia, stateless activists and wider civil society aimed at better understanding and addressing protection gaps currently experienced by stateless people in Europe, including to identify how to better resource future work by different actors to address these.
Fondation Mémoire Albert Cohen (Genève) Élaborer à l’occasion d’une conférence internationale d’experts un Livre Blanc portant sur l’article 28 de la Convention de Genève sur le bilan et les perspectives du titre de voyage pour réfugiés et apatrides permettant de repenser la mobilité de ces deux populations au 21ème siècle.
Fondation Mémoire Albert Cohen (Genève) A l’issue de la Conférence prévue dans l’engagement précédent, sera constitué le premier réseau d’experts internationaux d’Amici Curiae pouvant nationalement et régionalement éclairer les cours suprêmes et autres hautes juridictions nationales ou supranationales sur l’application de l’article 28 de la convention de Genève et plus généralement sur toute problématique d’entrée et de séjour d’apatrides ou de réfugiés. Les membres du Réseau seront choisis notamment parmi les avocats, anciens juges, anciens hauts fonctionnaires, universitaires et juristes émérites. Tous les 2 ans, le Réseau se réunira de manière itinérante pour partager et faire évoluer ses connaissances et ses réalisations.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights hereby commits: To work with our coalition members based in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East to: heighten awareness of the harm caused by gender discrimination in nationality laws; and the importance of gender-equal nationality rights to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through convenings with government, civil society and media.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights hereby commits: Support the development and implementation of a Plan of Action, in partnership with The Campaign’s coalition members and government representatives from the Middle East North-Africa region, to implement the Arab Declaration on Belonging and Identity, which calls for all Arab League members to grant women and men equal nationality rights.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights hereby commits: To support UN agencies, including OHCHR, UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP and UNHCR to advocate for an end to gender discrimination in nationality laws, including through a proposed joint event with OHCHR and UNHCR engaging representatives of National Human Rights Institutions and/or other key stakeholders from countries that retain gender-discriminatory nationality laws.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights hereby commits: Support ongoing efforts in Malaysia to achieve Constitutional reform needed to uphold Malaysian citizens’ equal nationality rights, regardless of gender, in line with Constitutional provisions requiring non-discrimination on the basis of sex.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights Share good practices and lessons learned from recent reforms, including with States that have pledged at the UNHCR High Level Segment on Statelessness and the Global Refugee Forum to enact reforms to remove gender discrimination from their nationality law.
Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights hereby commits: Continue to increase attention on the issue of gender discrimination in nationality laws in the context of UN human rights bodies and the UPR process.
Innovation and Reform Centre Innovation and Reform Centre hereby commits to conduct or support outreach when it comes to identification of stateless persons in Georgia. Work closely with government authorities to establish the state-run identification mechanism. Continue provision of legal aid to stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness.
Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion dedicates its work to promoting inclusive societies by realising and protecting the right to a nationality. On the occasion of the 2019 UNHCR High Level Segment on Statelessness, we have collaborated closely with other members of the global community of civil society actors, including stateless activists, to produce a joint statement that identifies the threat of statelessness to be growing and new risks of statelessness to be outpacing efforts to address statelessness (see http://files.institutesi.org/Joint-civil-society-statement-statelessness_7Oct2019.pdf). The statement comments that in the vast majority of cases, statelessness could have already been eradicated if all governments fully implemented their obligations under international law. In light of this, and the seven key challenges that are identified in the joint civil society statement for which concerted action by governments and the UN is called for, the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion: • Stands with its civil society partners in pledging its support for such efforts, through our continued engagement in research, training, advocacy, information-sharing and alliance-building; • Commits to continuing to work with civil society partners across the globe to raise these issues within the UN human rights framework, including through ongoing engagement with the Universal Periodic Review, to which we have made 58 country submissions and provided summary information on statelessness and nationality issues on 149 countries over the past 5 years.
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) IRRI hereby commits to engaging the government-led Statelessness Taskforce in the identification of groups affected by or at risk of statelessness in Uganda, including those with challenges to obtaining legal identification such as birth registration and nationality documentation.
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) IRRI hereby commits to supporting efforts by the government of Uganda to commit to and implement international and continental legal and policy frameworks, domesticate them in national law and apply them in practice at the national level to resolve current cases of statelessness and prevent future cases.
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) IRRI hereby commits to continuing to work with indigenous communities in Uganda excluded from the Third Schedule of the 1995 Constitution, such as the Maragoli, Benet and others. IRRI will do so by supporting self-identification mechanisms, sensitisation and awareness-raising on the importance of proof of legal identity, including birth registration and nationality documentation, and support their quest for citizenship.
International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) IRRI commits to highlighting the issue of statelessness at the continental level, through continuing to facilitate information sharing and exchange on issues of statelessness, through our contribution to the Citizenship Rights in Africa website and work of the Right to Nationality Coalition.
Kenya Human Rights Commission KHRC commits to mobilize, organize and support all the stateless communities and persons to submit their application to the government taskforce in order to resolve their statelessness situation by 2020.
Kenya Human Rights Commission To provide support and advice to the parliament of Kenya and the ministry responsible for registration of stateless persons to review and amend existing laws so as to eliminate unequal treatment of stateless persons and create stronger safeguards for the protection and recognition of stateless either through naturalization or other forms of nationality acquisition as a form of redress for historical injustices of non-recognition by creating legal prevention to resolve existing situations of statelessness in Kenya.
Kenya Human Rights Commission The KHRC commits to advocate and provide legal support to reform the nationality law to insert a safeguard to ensure that a child born in Kenya that would otherwise be stateless would be attributed nationality at birth in line with Article 53(1) of the constitution of Kenya which gives every child a right to a name and a nationality from birth and Article 6 (4) of the African Charter of the rights and welfare of the Child to which Kenya is party by 2023.
Kenya Human Rights Commission KHRC commits to continue creating public awareness on statelessness and providing oversight and technical support to all government agencies in the interventions and strategies to identify, reduce, and prevent statelessness.
Lawyers for Human Rights

Provide direct legal assistance and representation in courts to stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness in South Africa.

Lawyers for Human Rights

Advocate for the prompt adoption of the African Union’s “Draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa” and promote full implementation and domestication thereof.

Lawyers for Human Rights

Mainstream statelessness into the organisation’s work on children, women’s rights, minority rights and other rights and encourage its partners to do the same.

Lawyers for Human Rights

Advocate for and support the government of South Africa in creating a national action plan to end statelessness in South Africa.

Lawyers for Human Rights Provide training on statelessness and access to nationality to various stakeholders in both government and civil society in South Africa.
Lawyers for Human Rights Conduct fundraising campaigns to support activities that aim to protect stateless persons and to end statelessness.
Lawyers for Human Rights Advocate for universal birth registration free of discrimination.
Lawyers for Human Rights Conduct strategic litigation to build a sound jurisprudence in South Africa on the right to a nationality.
Office of the Public Defender of Georgia Office of the Public Defender of Georgia hereby commits to continue mainstreaming statelessness through designing the special chapter on human rights situation of stateless persons and those who are in the stateless determination procedures in its Annual Parliamentary reports.
Office of the Public Defender of Georgia Office of the Public Defender of Georgia commits to monitor stateless determination procedures and evaluate their compliance with Georgian legislation and international standards.
ProBono.Org (South Africa) Conduct or support research on stateless persons to improve the availability of data on statelessness.
ProBono.Org (South Africa) Provide or support legal assistance to stateless persons.
ProBono.Org (South Africa) Conduct advocacy on statelessness.
ProBono.Org (South Africa) Support the work of the UNHCR and other stakeholders in South Africa in combating statelessness.
Red ANA Red ANA organisation hereby commits: To continue to support the Latin American and Caribbean states in the outreach and identification of stateless persons; establish strong determination procedures and good practices for the prevention and eradication of statelessness, as well as assistance in the reintegration of former stateless persons into society. Red ANA will also promote the accession of Latin American, Caribbean and North American states to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions through conducting advocacy campaigns with decision makers and educational activities for employees of state bodies working with stateless persons.
Red ANA Red ANA organisation hereby commits: To work with civil society members through Latin America, the Caribbean and North America to continue raising awareness of possible risks of statelessness, and the importance to contribute to the I Belong Campaign objectives and the goals set up in Chapter VI of the Plan of Action of Brazil on the prevention and eradication of Statelessness.
Red ANA Red ANA organisation hereby commits: To share good practices and lessons learned with other networks in other regions, in order to strengthen the global support for the prevention and eradication of statelessness.
Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town hereby commits: We commit to continuing to advocate against statelessness in Africa, particularly South Africa. We will do this through research as well as advocacy communications and high-level advocacy. We will also continue to assist individuals where such assistance is requested of us.
Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town hereby commits to advocate for South Africa’s ratification of international instruments relating to statelessness, such as the UN 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, as well as proper data collection and dissemination by the SA government related to children at risk of statelessness. We will also continue to advocate against the implementation of the Refugee Amendment Act where it is not in line with the UN Conventions.
Southern African Nationality Network Conduct research on stateless persons to improve the availability of data on statelessness in Southern Africa. An online database for comparison of SADC countries will be made available.
Southern African Nationality Network Promote and support legal assistance to stateless persons in Southern Africa by training, advising and assisting local legal partners in the region.
Southern African Nationality Network Advocate for the prompt adoption of the African Union’s “Draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa” and promote full implementation and domestication thereof.
Southern African Nationality Network Encourage its members in SADC to mainstream statelessness into their organisation’s work on children, women’s rights, minority rights and other rights.
Southern African Nationality Network Advocate for and support SADC in creating a regional action plan to end statelessness in SADC.
Southern African Nationality Network Provide training on statelessness and access to nationality to SADC governments.
Southern African Nationality Network Conduct fundraising campaigns to support activities that aim to protect stateless persons and to end statelessness.
Statelessness Network Asia Pacific The Statelessness Network Asia Pacific (SNAP), as a civil society coalition with the goal of promoting collaboration on addressing statelessness in Asia and the Pacific, pledges its solidarity in support of practical and implementable efforts to end childhood statelessness and to reform nationality laws, policies and practices that discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity and religion.
United Stateless We commit to conduct and support research on stateless persons to improve the availability of data on statelessness in the United States.
United Stateless We commit to conducting fundraising campaigns to support activities that aim to protect stateless persons (including stateless detainees and stateless children) in the United States.
United Stateless We commit to reaching out to, and educating 10 members of the U.S. Congress on the issues of statelessness, their impact, and solutions.
World Council of Churches The WCC commits to continue addressing statelessness as one of its thematic priorities for training, advocacy, and outreach, and to strengthen the prioritization of these efforts. Discrimination being at the root of most cases of statelessness around the world, the WCC is planning to address the issue of discriminatory and xenophobic state practices against specific ethnic, religious or linguistic communities that often results in the marginalization of these communities.
World Council of Churches The WCC commits to organizing a significant inter-faith gathering on statelessness in 2021 and to working with other religious traditions towards a new publication about the intersection between statelessness and various faiths. Joint voices from various religious traditions are necessary to condemn any form of discrimination (gender-based or against communities) and support civic registration as a means of registering important life events such as birth, marriage, death, etc.
World Council of Churches The WCC commits to work with its member churches based in different locations to address gender inequality in nationality laws. Gender justice is a paramount priority for the WCC. It is our intention to work closely with our churches to promote equal nationality rights for women and men among our constituency.
World Council of Churches The WCC commits to encourage churches to use creatively their opportunities for registering important life events —such as birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, and death—in ways that help stateless people to secure documents, particularly those living in remote areas.
World Council of Churches The WCC commits to raise the issue of statelessness with relevant UN independent experts and Working Groups, through the provision of country-specific information, support to country visits and regular briefings.
World Vision Georgia World Vision Georgia hereby commits to provide social support and individual assistance to stateless persons in Georgia. Furthermore, strive to improve community structures of STL persons through community mobilization and provision of integration oriented services.
Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children ZNCWC organization hereby commits that it will work in assisting every child to have some identification documents working together with other stakeholders like the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Registrar Generals Office.
Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children ZNCWC organization hereby commits to assist unaccompanied minors/children who are on the move to be reunified with their families and make sure that they are enrolled back in school having all the required identification documents.
Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children ZNCWC organization hereby commits to engage the parliament of Zimbabwe and Registrar Generals office so that birth registration laws are made child friendly and make it easy for children to get birth/registration documents.

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