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2014 Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action

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2014 Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action

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In December 2014, UNHCR and representatives of 28 countries and three territories in Latin America and the Caribbean adopted a road map to address new displacement trends and end statelessness by 2024. The Brazil Plan of Action highlights 11 concrete strategic programs to be implemented by the participating governments. The Brazil Declaration builds upon previous regional frameworks, including the 1994 San José Declaration on Refugees and Displaced Persons, which focused on internal displacement, and the 2004 Mexico Declaration and Plan of Action to Strengthen the International Protection of Refugees in Latin America.

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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Refworld | Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action

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Published by the European Network on Statelessness (in collaboration with The AIRE Centre), the Litigation Toolkit on Statelessness provides a framework and guidance for legal practitioners on conducting litigation on statelessness. This toolkit is divided into two volumes: the first is a handbook for practitioners on strategic litigation and the second outlines a summary of key jurisprudence relating to statelessness. You may download the two volumes by clicking on the link above.

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Litigation Toolkit on Statelessness for Legal Practitioners

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A key component of the work to end statelessness is litigating for change in both domestic and international courts and bodies, with the purpose of developing and effectively implementing the right to a nationality and the human rights of stateless people.

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This website is a resource for all those working to ensure respect for the right to a nationality and an end to statelessness on the African continent. The website contains a database on nationality and statelessness in Africa featuring national laws and subsidiary legislation, government and independent reports and academic articles, news stories and blog postings, and other resources.

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UNHCR, Rue de Montbrillant, Geneva, Switzerland

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Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality

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Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality

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The Coalition aims to develop, expand and strengthen international co-operation to raise awareness about and combat the hidden problem of childhood statelessness. It also aims to promote the right of every child to acquire a nationality. Click on "Learn More" and check their report on Minority, Children and Statelessness.

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Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights

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Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights

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The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights is a coalition that mobilises international action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws. The coalition's members include local, regional and international NGOs, academics, civil society partners, UN agencies, and government allies across the globe. Click on a region and find out more about the achievements of the Global Campaign and reforms in countries that discriminate against women in their nationality laws.

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Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights

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The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights mobilizes international action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws.

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Institute of Statelessness and Inclusion

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Institute of Statelessness and Inclusion

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NGO dedicated to promoting the right to a nationality and the rights of stateless people globally. Here, you may navigate their database and access relevant recommendations issued to States within the UN human rights system. The database enables the user to compare and analyse the data by ‘coding’ the recommendations using different filters such as country, UN body and theme.

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Research centre established in 2018 with the objective of undertaking teaching and research activities aimed at reducing statelessness and protecting the rights of stateless people mainly in Australia and the Asia Pacific regions. Navigate the website to learn more about their activities and their international partnerships.

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The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness aims at reducing statelessness and protecting the rights of stateless people.

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Statelessness Network in the Asia Pacific: The birth of Nationality for All

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Statelessness Network in the Asia Pacific: The birth of Nationality for All

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Nationality for All (NFA) was formed in October 2020 from the work undertaken by the Statelessness Network in the Asia Pacific over four years to build a regional civil society movement.  NFA commenced a regional mapping project comprised of desk research, surveys, and consultations in late 2020. Click on the link to see more information about their upcoming activities.

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Mapping Project
Prior to the emergence of COVID-19 a five-year plan had been developed for the transition from SNAP to NFA. However, due to the impacts of the pandemic, a decision was made to revise the strategic plan. The new one-year strategic plan is based on the core value that persons with lived experience of statelessness should lead in determining how statelessness is addressed. For the next year, NFA is committed to supporting the leadership and agency of persons with lived experience of statelessness by ensuring their meaningful participation in the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of our activities.

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Statelessness in the Asia Pacific: The birth of Nationality for All

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SNAP was launched in November 2016 as a civil society coalition with the goal of promoting collaboration on addressing statelessness in the Asia Pacific region. SNAP invited grassroot organizations, national and regional NGOs, academics and researchers, and most importantly stateless persons to become members of the network and by 2019, had a membership of over 300 organizations and individual experts, with around 50 members actively involved in SNAP's activities.

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The Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness

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The Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness

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The Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness is a network of civil society organisations, academic initiatives, and individual experts committed to address statelessness in the Americas. Navigate their website and learn about each country's legal framework in relation to statelessness and the various action plans and initiatives taken in South and North America.

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The Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness

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Legal Framework

The right to nationality is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the 1968 American Convention on Human Rights.

Moreover, two UN Conventions deal specifically with statelessness:

The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, which sets out the definition of a stateless person and provides protections for stateless persons, and
The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which is aimed at reducing and preventing statelessness.

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Home - The Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness

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The right to nationality is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the 1968 American Convention on Human Rights.

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First and only research platform in the MENA Region on the issue of statelessness. The aim is to create a network on statelessness with a mission to facilitate research and contribute to policy making aimed at combating statelessness in the MENA region. Check their interactive map on their website and find out about the situation regarding statelessness in each country of the MENA region.

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While citizenship or nationality is a fundamental right (ensuring many other human rights) millions of people around the world are denied it, making them stateless. The MENA region is particularly affected by this issue as it hosts one of the largest populations of stateless persons in the world. There are different ways to obtain nationality. Ius sanguinis, in other words, obtaining nationality through a family link to a country; Ius soli, acquiring nationality through a territorial link to a state; and through naturalization, that is accessing the nationality of your country of residence over time. In the MENA, the vast majority of people obtain their nationality by ius sanguinis as all countries in the region recognize paternal as sanguinis (when the father transfers the nationality). Nevertheless, maternal ius sanguinis is much more complicated and is applied with ease in only 5 MENA countries. These discriminatory practices increase the risks of statelessness. In comparison to other legislations, the process of naturalization in the region is also complex and is not only tied to a specific period of residence in the country.

Besides, the right to nationality requires not only that a person can acquire it at birth but also that arbitrary deprivation of nationality is prohibited. However, all MENA ccountries'legislations possess provisions where states can deprive the nationality of individuals without their consent. States can use it to subdue a perceived threat to domestic security or to preserve the country's demographic balance. Finally, the region's history importantly increased the risks of statelessness. The MENA region's colonial legacy actively hampered access to a nationality. Following the independence, certain rulers lacking expertise and experience were left with the challenging task to register inhabitants of their territory and deciding who did and who did not belong to the new state.

Stateless individuals often face significant difficulties in obtaining basic documents, such as birth certificates, or identity cards to prove their identity, legal status, and citizenship. This lack of documentation seriously blocks their access to numerous benefits. Without these documents, they are legally and administratively invisible. In other words, statelessness creates considerable obstacles to accessing rights and services ranging from the right to leave and return to a country, to education, housing, healthcare, marriage license, birth registration, justice, and many other benefits linked to citizenship.

While under international law stateless people are entitled to a range of human rights this is not always the case in the MENA. Indeed, in the region, only 4 states are parties to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (designated to ensure the recognition of a stateless person, ensure their access to documentation, and their enjoyment of various rights). While being a state party to the 1954 Convention does not always ensure the entire respect of its articles, it at least demonstrates a state's awareness of the issue.

Birth registration is a central pillar of statelessness prevention. Indeed, access to birth certificates attesting to the newborn with a place of birth and parental affiliation proves the child's entitlement to the nationality under the applicable law. While all MENA countries are States parties to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (which requires the registration of the right of every child and reaffirms a child's right to a nationality), childhood statelessness exists and persist in the region.

UNHCR considers that every 10 minutes, a child is born stateless somewhere in the world. Reasons for statelessness at birth are various. Many, such as certain Syrian Kurds have inherited their statelessness from stateless parents. Others are the first of their families, either because of gap or conflict nationality laws. Forced displacement and migrations can put children at great risks of statelessness. Whereas in certain countries nationality can be obtained because they are born in the state's territory, this is not a common policy in the MENA region.

The right to nationality preconditions the access to many economic and social rights. Indeed, through their nationality, citizens benefit from a number of rights determined by the state's legislation. Consequently, stateless people face obstacles in accessing these rights ranging from healthcare to education, and social services, as well as full access to the labor market. This seriously hinders their livelihood opportunities.

One in three stateless persons in the world has been forcibly displaced. The precarious and unstable circumstances of displacement can, at times, increase the risk of becoming stateless, including individuals who formerly possessed nationalities. This issue is particularly relevant to the MENA, a region undergoing numerous population displacements and migrations. Besides, once stateless, conditions of displacement become harder. For instance, while in exile, statelessness deprives individuals of consular protection and/or services.

There are different ways in which displaced individuals can face statelessness. One way is when refugees' identity documents are lost, destroyed, or seized, making it harder to prove their bonds with their country of origin. Whereas a lack of documentation does not automatically lead to statelessness, it makes it more difficult to prove one's nationality. Another way is when displacement last. Over time, maintaining a link with a country of origin becomes increasingly difficult. Besides, statelessness can trigger displacement. As stateless communities often serve as victims, many choose or are forced to leave their country of origin. However, as documentation such as proof of identity is often necessary to apply for asylum procedures and to benefit from international protection, stateless asylum applicants face extra difficulties.

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While citizenship or nationality is a fundamental right (ensuring many other human rights) millions of people around the world are denied it, making them stateless. The MENA region is particularly affected by this issue as it hosts one of the largest populations of stateless persons in the world.

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Network of lawyers, academics, activists and civil society organisations working on reducing and ending statelessness in the MENA region and protecting their human rights. Their objective is to identify and understand statelessness, foster solidarity and collaboration and support advocacy activities for legal reform and strategic litigation.

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Who We Are

The MENA Statelessness Network (Hawiati) is a network bringing together actors working on, and interested in, statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Mission

The network's activities are broadly focused around the following Mission.

Reducing and ending statelessness in the MENA.

Protecting the human rights of stateless persons in the MENA.

More specifically, the network's founding strategy is to work according to the following 11 Objectives:

Objectives

Identification and Understanding Statelessness:

To better identify, map and understand statelessness and its legacy in the MENA in order to increase the quality and availability of accurate information - including on the scale, causes and impacts of statelessness;

To conduct research into the emerging risk factors leading to and perpetuating statelessness in the MENA;

To understand the impacts of statelessness on affected individuals, communities and states in the region;

Fostering Solidarity and Collaboration:

To facilitate contact among actors and stateless persons from different communities of the MENA;

To serve as a platform for collaboration and the sharing of information and expertise;

Supporting Advocacy:

To advocate for legal reform and policy and legislative change with a view to reduction/prevention of statelessness and protection of stateless persons, and reinstate revoked nationality;

To advocate against discriminatory norms and practices that lead to and perpetuate statelessness in the MENA;

To coordinate effective advocacy strategies and messaging towards the international community including regional and universal governance mechanisms;

To use strategic litigation as mechanisms to protect stateless persons rights

To conduct and support awareness-raising campaigns and advocacy-focused capacity building activities.

To coordinate and collaborate with regional and international NGOs with similar interests.

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The MENA Statelessness Network (Hawiati) is a network bringing together actors working on, and interested in, statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The network's activities are broadly focused around the following Mission. Reducing and ending statelessness in the MENA. Protecting the human rights of stateless persons in the MENA.

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The Central Asian Network on Statelessness

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The Central Asian Network on Statelessness

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Created to facilitate a direct and effective dialogue and the exchange of information and experience in the sphere of prevention and reduction of statelessness, as well as the development of the institution of citizenship in the region. Here, you may find a quick overview of their recent activities and partnership with UNHCR.

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Центрально-Азиатская Сеть по Безгражданству

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Центрально-Азиатская Сеть по Безгражданству

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The Southern African Nationality Network (SANN) is a collective of civil society organisations, individuals and networks working towards universal access to the right to a nationality and prevention of statelessness in Southern Africa. SANN aims at improving data on statelessness in Southern Africa, giving access to legal assistance to ensure nationality rights for all Africans, and advocate for access to nationality and birth registration, and for the adoption of the African Union Protocol on the Specific Aspects on the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa

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The Southern African Nationality Network (SANN) is a collective of civil society organisations, individuals and networks working towards universal access to the right to a nationality and prevention of statelessness in Southern Africa.

Our motto "Freedom in Belonging" underscores our belief that without belonging concretised by formal nationality, African individuals and communities can never be free. Not only does nationality ensure access to human dignity and basic human rights for the individual, it fosters the belonging which is necessary for the creation of a prosperous and peaceful society.

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South African Nationality Network | Home

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The Southern African Nationality Network (SANN) is a collective of civil society organisations, individuals and networks working towards universal access to the right to a nationality and prevention of statelessness in Southern Africa. Our motto "Freedom in Belonging" underscores our belief that without belonging concretised by formal nationality, African individuals and communities can never be free.

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Recently created network between UNHCR and 15 civil society organisations from African countries. It seeks to collaborate on regional advocacy efforts towards ending statelessness in the eastern Africa Region. For more information, you may also read their memorandum of establishment available here.

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Working Group: Regional Statelessness CSO Network Website

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Since the launch of the #IBelong Campaign in 2014, there has been significant progress to eradicate statelessness in the region. Much more work is needed to eradicate statelessness, and for the remaining years of the #IBelong Campaign, there is need for stronger engagement of Civil Society Organisations.

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Created by the European Migration Network (EMN), an EU network of migration and asylum experts who provides policy-relevant information and knowledge on issues relating to migration in Europe. The EMN Platform on Statelessness intends to raise awareness about statelessness and to bring all relevant stakeholders in the field together (EU representatives, international organisations, and NGOs).

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Background

There are approximately 600.000 stateless persons in Europe. Its most common causes include state succession, ill-defined or discriminatory nationality laws, arbitrary deprivation of nationality, displacement and forced migration, birth to a stateless person, lack of birth registration or inability to satisfy certain requirements for the acquisition of nationality. These numbers may increase due to the migration crisis. This is one of the reasons why the Justice and Home Affairs Council conclusions of 3 and 4 December 2015 mandated the Europen Migration Network (EMN) to establish a platform for exchange of information and goods practices. The EMN Platform on Statelessness was established by the Steering Board of EMN on 20 May 2016.

What is the aim?

The EMN Platform on Statelessness has the intention to raise awareness in regards with statelessness and to bring all the relevant stakeholders in the field together: representatives of Member States, European Commission, European Parliament, European agencies, international organisations, and NGOs. The first practical objective of this platform was to determine the state of play of statelessness in the European Union.

What we do?

The platform collects and analyses information on statelessness via the EMN Ad-hoc query system. First findings of the analysis were presented in the EMN Inform "Statelessness in the EU". The findings were presented on the 20th October 2016 at the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the European Union with the presence of representatives of Member States' Permanent Representation to the European Union, UNHCR and the European Network on Statelessness.

The platform organizes relevant trainings to state officials on statelessness. EMN Platform on Statelessness, in collaboration with UNHCR and ENS, organized a conference in Brussels on 18 January 2017 entitled "Addressing Statelessness in the European Union: One year on from the adoption of European Council Conclusions".

The platform aims to increase visibility of statelessness. The engagement of the Maltese Government to include in its Presidency agenda the issue of statelessness determination, and to discuss it in the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) setting is an encouraging sign, and signals a positive intent to move forward with the Council conclusions.

Further activities

Coordination with NGOs and international organizations (UNHCR and UNICEF) the implementation of a mapping exercise identifying vulnerable stateless persons in the Member States, as a first step and then expand this action to other stateless individuals. This action will allow UNHCR and/or UNICEF and NGOs to directly address the competent authorities in the respective Member States in order to solve the legal situation of these identified individuals.

Foster and develop a common approach by which Member States can work towards introducing or improving Statelessness Determination Procedure at the national level - which the Maltese Presidency may take forward under their EU Presidency agenda. The Platform will contribute through the exchange of good practices and the development of non-binding guidelines.

Determine through the use of EMN tools the costs of procedure for regularizing the situation in the Member States in order to bring this under Member States Practitioner's Agenda.

Organization of a follow-up meeting in six months' time to take stock on the progress that done with regards to the deliverables in advance of the next annual conference.

arrow-back.png Back to expert groups

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Background There are approximately 600.000 stateless persons in Europe. Its most common causes include state succession, ill-defined or discriminatory nationality laws, arbitrary deprivation of nationality, displacement and forced migration, birth to a stateless person, lack of birth registration or inability to satisfy certain requirements for the acquisition of nationality.

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Created by the European Network on Statelessness. The Statelessness Index assesses how countries in Europe protect stateless people and what they are doing to prevent and reduce statelessness. Click on a country and access the assessment data and reports in multiple languages.

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New countries added

We've published new data for Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Austria Spain and the Czech Republic.

Read more

Compare countries

Find out how countries compare across different themes

Read more

Browse by country

See how a country performs against international standards

Read more

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We've published new data for Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Austria Spain and the Czech Republic. Read more Find out how countries compare across different themes Read more See how a country performs against international standards Read more

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Civil society alliance of organisations and individual experts committed to ending statelessness and ensuring that stateless people living in Europe are protected. The organisation aims at raising awareness about statelessness and nationality rights and build civil society’s capacity to act. Click on the website and read the latest Impact Report (2019-2020) for more information about their activities.

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We celebrate the gains the Network has made over the last two years to help protect stateless people and ensure everyone has their right to a nationality upheld. This report forms part of our commitment to be fully transparent about our work and evidence-