The causes of statelessness are complex, and every stateless person has a different story. This means that finding solutions is not always easy. However, solutions must be found to ensure that they can live in safety and dignity. States are the primary duty bearers of human rights and existing without belonging to a State often means living with the risk or reality that one’s rights are violated with impunity. For example, stateless persons may not have identity documents, and statelessness often puts education, employment, healthcare, housing and other important rights out of reach for those it affects. Stateless persons are also typically unable to participate fully in political processes. They may even be subject to arrest and arbitrary detention in the countries in which they live. These challenges exist despite the international community having recognised that human rights are universal – regardless of one’s nationality, citizenship or place of residence. Statelessness Leave Applicant photographed in London. © UNHCR/Katie Barlow. In 2014, UNHCR launched its #iBelong Campaign which aims to end statelessness within 10 years, by identifying and protecting stateless persons, resolving existing situations of statelessness and preventing the emergence of new cases. The campaign promotes 10 actions including removing gender discrimination from nationality laws, preventing denial, loss or deprivation of nationality on discriminatory grounds and ensuring birth registration for the prevention of statelessness. Examples of measures by States to reduce statelessness amongst their populations include a new law in Turkmenistan which recently came into force to help ensure that all children born in the country will have their births registered.12 The new law is the latest in a series of significant developments taken by Turkmenistan to prevent and reduce statelessness in the country. Over the last 15 years, an estimated 23,000 refugees and stateless persons have been granted Turkmen nationality. In another example, Côte d’Ivoire amended its laws in 2013 to allow nationality to be acquired through a simplified application process that will allow many of the 700,000 stateless persons there to acquire citizenship.13 On 2 September 2020, Côte d’Ivoire became the first country on the African continent to adopt a statelessness determination process.14 These are key examples of measures that States have taken to provide visibility and solutions to this invisible population. 12 13 14 UNHCR, More progress on statelessness in Central Asia as Turkmenistan becomes latest country to champion universal birth registration, 14 August 2020, available from: https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/8/5f3652864/progress-statelessness-central-asia-turkmenistan-becomes-latest-country.html For further information see: Adjami. M, Statelessness and Nationality in Côte D’Ivoire; A Report for UNHCR, December 2016, available from: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58594d114.html UNHCR, Côte d’Ivoire adopts Africa’s first legal process to identify and protect stateless people, 4 September 2020, available from: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/press/2020/9/5f51f33b4/cote-divoire-adopts-africas-first-legal-process-identify-protect-stateless.html 7