Action 9: Accede to the UN Statelessness Conventions The Ministry of digital development of Kyrgyzstan has drafted a bill on the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Convention on the reduction of statelessness, which has been submitted for public consultations. In November, South Sudan acceded to the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions, fulfilling a pledge made at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum. Action 10: Improve quantitative and qualitative data on stateless populations In Botswana, in December, a pre-validation workshop on the statelessness study was held with the Technical Working Group, including the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and UNHCR. The study is part of Botswana’s pledges under the Global Refugee Forum. The Ministry informed that cabinet procedures were underway for accession to the 1961 Convention, and the study would support that process. In The Gambia, from 29 October to 1 November, UNHCR and the Gambia Commission for Refugees conducted a survey on the risk of statelessness among the Ghana Town community. Despite over five decades of residence, many inhabitants remain stateless, lacking formal citizenship from either The Gambia or Ghana. The survey included 686 respondents (409 males, 277 females) across different age groups and provided key insights into nationality issues. In Guinea-Bissau, UNHCR and the National commission for refugees and internally displaced persons organized a workshop with the National Institute of Statistics to integrate statelessness into upcoming census questionnaires. The workshop created an opportunity to include statelessness and risk of statelessness in the 2025 census, with discussions ongoing between UNHCR’s partner and the Institute of Statistics. In South Africa, in November, UNHCR presented the preliminary findings of the study on statelessness to the Government of South Africa. The study is scheduled for validation in February 2025 as part of the country’s commitments to end statelessness. In the Dominican Republic, in November, UNHCR conducted participatory assessments with approximately 150 children to gather data on legal protection and the best interests of children born in the country under Law 04-23. These assessments will inform the multi-year strategy and UNHCR’s protection response. In the Central African Republic, UNHCR supported a study profiling stateless populations and those at risk. A data collection system was set up in target prefectures, with surveys completed by 6,000 individuals, local authorities, community leaders, NGOs, and agencies in Lobaye, NanaMambéré, and Mambéré-Kadéi. The data is currently being processed for validation and submission to authorities. UNHCR > The Campaign to End Statelessness | October – December 2024 Update 6