Heads of Central Asian government delegations at the Ministerial Conference on Ending Statelessness in Central Asia, together with UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela. ©State Migration Service of Turkmenistan Supported by UNHCR, the Central Asian Network on Statelessness (CANS) held its 8th annual meeting in Tashkent from 3 to 5 December 2024. The meeting brought together regional stakeholders to discuss the creation of a Statelessness Index and review progress made under the #IBelong campaign to end Statelessness. In Kazakhstan, on 16 October 2024, UNHCR delivered a presentation at QAZIITU University in Uralsk on statelessness and refugee protection, covering historical and legal aspects. On 2 December, UNHCR held a public lecture at Narxoz University in Almaty, engaging 40 students on the newly launched Global Alliance to End Statelessness. The lecture highlighted Central Asia’s progress, including the resolution of over 200,000 cases in the past decade. On 12 December, UNICEF and UNHCR signed a new Letter of Understanding to strengthen joint efforts in protecting stateless children and women, ensuring access to education, healthcare, and legal identity documents. In Tajikistan, on 1 October 2024, UNHCR partner Chashma hosted a roundtable in Bokhtar on prevention of statelessness: strengthening NGO and local authority cooperation in Khatlon Region. Attended by government officials, the event improved understanding among district passport and registration service staff about UNHCR’s joint efforts with the Tajik government. In collaboration with UNHCR Moldova, UNHCR Tajikistan conducted a study visit from 7 to 10 October for seven government officials and two NGO representatives to learn from Moldova’s statelessness determination procedures and legal aid services. On 11 December, UNHCR and the Ministry of Justice hosted a roundtable reflecting on the 10-year #IBelong campaign and the launch of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, featuring a visual exhibition of six human-interest stories highlighting access to documentation, education, and other rights. On 4 November 2024, UNHCR and the Government of Turkmenistan co-hosted a Ministerial Conference on ending statelessness in Ashgabat. Senior officials from Central Asia, along with the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ms. Ruven Menikdiwela, celebrated the region’s achievements, including Turkmenistan’s resolution of all known cases of statelessness. At the event’s conclusion, delegations endorsed the Ashgabat Declaration on Ending Statelessness in Central Asia, which outlines strategic priorities such as strengthening statelessness determination procedures, promoting regional cooperation, and ensuring birth registration and legal identity for all children. The declaration was published on 18 December in multiple languages, including Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, English, and Russian. UNHCR > The Campaign to End Statelessness | October – December 2024 Update 13