In 2013, UNHCR visited 256 Roma communities throughout the country to identify those at risk of statelessness. It was accompanied by a team of 7 lawyers from its legal aid partner Vaša Prava BiH as well as 11 Roma mediators and other representatives of Roma NGOs and Roma communities. The team conducted regular annual field visits to Roma communities to raise awareness of the importance of birth registration and associated procedures and identify individuals requiring legal assistance to manage the process. Approximately 40 focus group discussions were held annually. Representatives of the municipal registry offices and municipal social welfare centres were present to provide information and advice on civil registration procedures. A key obstacle was to identify individuals who needed assistance to confirm their citizenship, because many Roma live in informal settlements and are not recorded by the State. The engagement of Roma mediators, Roma NGOs and members of Roma communities proved to be crucial to building trust and identifying Roma who lacked documentation. Roma man who was never registered at birth is showing his only proof of existence, a military record book as a member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1992-95 war, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, March 23, 2016. © UNHCR/Vanja Cerimagic Advocacy and technical support to improve the administrative and legal framework and the capacity of the authorities involved in birth registration at every level secured positive changes in both law and practice. Changes to the law ‘on Registry Books of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ were introduced in 2012; new bylaws, for example, waived administrative fees in connection with birth registration for national minorities (such as the Roma) and vulnerable individuals, and allowed parents without documents to register a birth on the evidence of witness statements. UNHCR provided technical advice during drafting of the new legislation and supported the training of officials, Roma mediators and Roma NGOs in the new legislation. Jointly with the OSCE, UNHCR successfully advocated for the inclusion of a section on civil registration in both the Revised Action Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Addressing Roma Issues in the Field of Employment, Housing and Health Care 2013-201659 and the new 2017-2020 Action Plan.60 UNHCR has continued to advocate for civil registration and build civil registration capacity in the country.61 These achievements were made possible through collaboration with a wide range of actors, including State- and entity-level ministries, UNHCR partners, and the Roma community. Impact From June 2009 until June 2017, UNHCR’s legal aid partner helped 1,611 individuals to confirm their citizenship. As of 30 June 2017, only 53 Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina were known to have undetermined nationality. 59 Revised Action Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Addressing Roma Issues in the Field of Employment, Housing and Health Care 2013-2016, at: http://www.mhrr.gov.ba/PDF/LjudskaPrava/bos-rom-eng.pdf. 60 Action Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Addressing Roma Issues in the Field of Employment, Housing and Health Care 2017-2020, adopted on 19 July 2017 by the Council of Ministers at its 108th session. 61 Examples include joint capacity building support to civil registration authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and formulation of the Operational Conclusions of the Roma Inclusion Seminar organized by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees and the EU Delegation in June 2015. At: http://goo.gl/p38GLk. 15 CAMPAIGN TO END STATELESSNESS WITHIN 10 YE ARS