QUICK GUIDE 1 - DESK REVIEW QUICK GUIDE 1 - DESK REVIEW ? Key questions to answer through the legislation and policy review • What principal legislation exists in relation to nationality (and statelessness) in the country or countries under study? • Is the country in question a party to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions? Any reservations? • Is the country in question a party to other relevant international or regional instruments? Any reservations? Look at whether the country is party to: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD); The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); The Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families; Relevant regional instruments. • 8 What are the ways in which nationality is acquired and lost in the country? • Does the legislation require that nationals hold proof of nationality or documents that help to prove an entitlement to nationality? Does the legislation, policy or administrative framework set out the process for acquiring such documentation? • Does the legislation comply with key international standards? Article 1 of the 1954 Convention; Articles 1, 2 and 4 of the 1961 Convention; Articles 7 and 8 of the CRC and Article 24 of the ICCPR; Articles 9(1) and 9(2) of the CEDAW; Articles 2 and 5 of the CERD and Article 2 of the ICCPR?; Article 18 of the CRPD; Article 9 of the 1961 Convention; Does the legislation establish a statelessness determination procedure? Article 32 of the 1954 Convention? U N H C R > R E S E A R C H I N G S TAT E L E S S N E S S - Q U I C K G U I D E S Existing research Relevant academic disciplines for statelessness research include law, politics, international relations, geography, sociology, demography and anthropology. Check with local academic and NGO partners, if they are aware of any locally produced research of relevance. Regional NGO statelessness networks such as the European Network on Statelessness, the Statelessness Network Asia Pacific, the Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness and the Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative or the global NGO Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion may be able to identify existing or ongoing research of relevance. Other relevant NGO networks, such as those working on child protection, minority rights or migration may also be avenues for accessing existing research. Research institutes, such as the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the University of Melbourne, may also be able to point to relevant resources. Government-sponsored research on statelessness is rare, and where it exists, it tends to have been undertaken in collaboration with UNHCR. Nonetheless, and where possible, it is worth checking with relevant Government counterparts or competent authorities whether they have any existing research or data that they can share. This will often be in the form of statistics derived from population census data. Regional bodies may have also published research on statelessness. UN Agencies, such as UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women and UNDP may have undertaken or commissioned research on particular populations that are stateless or at risk of statelessness through the lenses of their respective mandates. For example, UNICEF may have undertaken research on the prevalence of birth registration amongst marginalised population groups that could also be stateless. Media The media, both traditional and digital, can provide useful information. It is helpful to establish clear parameters around media searches, including a time-frame and a broad and diverse range of sources to consult. It is important to take note of contexts in which mainstream media are State-sponsored. Where relevant, journalists can also be consulted as part of the primary data collection phase. U N H C R > R E S E A R C H I N G S TAT E L E S S N E S S - Q U I C K G U I D E S 9