Mulugeta Zewdie, UNHCR Representative in Tajikistan, speaking on the radio station Asia Plus about the right to a nationality and the importance of eradicating statelessness © UNHCR/Nodira Akbaralieva In South Africa, UNHCR’s Deputy Director for the Regional Bureau for Southern Africa and a young stateless man were interviewed by Leanne Manas, UNHCR South Africa’s Goodwill Ambassador and host of a popular TV programme, Morning Live. At the end of the segment, a representative from the Department of Home Affairs called in to say that the Department would follow up on the case. Following the interview, UNHCR published an open letter calling for universal birth registration for all children born in South Africa. The open letter was shared by the Trevor Noah Foundation, a High-Level Supporter of the Campaign in South Africa, which marked the Campaign’s 6th anniversary with a blog on its website. Also in December, UNHCR issued a press release applauding the decision of the Government of Kenya to resolve the statelessness of the Shona and other communities. On 26 December, The New York Times published a “Saturday Profile” featuring the story of statelessness activist Maha Mamo’s life and journey to ultimately obtain Brazilian citizenship. The article follows the recent publication of a memoir about her ordeal. In Spain, after being stateless for seven decades, Sergio Chekaloff was finally granted statelessness status in 2019 at the age of 74. UNHCR recently published a web story about him in Spanish and amplified it through social media channels. His testimony was included in a global story about statelessness in Europe, and also features on UNHCR’s YouTube and global social media channels. In Malaysia, civil society organizations reached out to media outlets to encourage the Government to eliminate all forms of discrimination from its citizenship law. In Tajikistan, a campaign was launched to raise awareness about a recently enacted Amnesty Law which will facilitate resolution of the most complex cases of statelessness in the country. The campaign began with an interview on the popular radio station Asia Plus and continued with a series of national TV and radio programs. The story of Nazokat, a 42yearold mother of four who has lived in legal limbo for the last 17 years, generated significant interest on social media platforms. From 16 to 20 December, in North Macedonia, UNHCR broadcast a video on statelessness on the seven national TV stations with the highest viewership, generating approximately 3.5 million views. In December, UNHCR issued a press release welcoming the decision of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to give nationality to thousands of children born to Iranian mothers and non-Iranian fathers. 11