Seventh Arabic language statelessness course in Sanremo, Italy, held from 23-26 September 2024. ©International Institute of Humanitarian Law On 30 August, in Lebanon, UNHCR and Ruwad Rights hosted a conference with over 60 experts to commemorate the centenary of Lebanese nationality and launch the proposed Lebanese Nationality law. The proposal reflects a commitment to constitutional equality, promoting gender equality, safeguards against statelessness, and provides clear definitions, guidelines, and procedures to ensure an inclusive legal framework. On 12 July, in Mali, the draft law on the status of stateless persons was presented at an interministerial meeting, pending further observations and recommendations. The next step is to submit it to the Council of Ministers in October and to the National transition committee (CNT). From 23 to 26 September, UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa and the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) hosted the seventh Arabic anguage statelessness course in Sanremo, Italy. The course brought together 30 participants from 10 countries and two regional organizations, primarily government officials and intergovernmental representatives. It provided a platform to share MENA regional experiences, discuss international standards on statelessness, and identify good practices. On 20 September 2024, in the Republic of Moldova, the Law Center of Advocates (CDA) and the Ukrainian NGO “10th of April” signed a memorandum of collaboration to support individuals affected by the war in Ukraine, including stateless persons. The partnership aims to improve beneficiary support, promote human rights, and provide legal assistance to refugees, stateless individuals, asylum seekers, and undocumented persons. Early outcomes indicate improved access to information and faster response times. From 5 to 21 July, in Niger, UNHCR and partners held workshops in Diffa, Maradi, and Birni-Konni (Tahoua), focusing on best practices to combat administrative barriers contributing to statelessness. These sessions supported Niger’s 2019 commitment to ensure access to nationality for children without parental references, despite administrative gaps. In September, an awareness workshop in Maine-Soroa educated civil registrars, health managers, and religious leaders on improving civil status records. On 10 September, a workshop in Niamey trained new administrative authorities on prevention of statelessness. On 29 August, Nigeria launched the Renewed Hope Initiative under the patronage of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu to accelerate nationwide birth registration. The initiative introduces a new digital system replacing the manual method, linking all births to a National Identity Number and enhancing legal identity for all children. On 1 August, in North Macedonia, the Council of Europe, USAID, the US Embassy, and UNHCR hosted a meeting to strengthen collaboration on ending statelessness. UNHCR and its partner, MYLA also held bi-weekly meetings with Roma NGOs—Romalitiko, Sonce, Umbrela, and Initiative of Roma Women—to discuss naturalization and birth registration for unregistered persons. UNHCR > The Campaign to End Statelessness | July – September 2024 Update 7