4. Reduction and prevention of statelessness 4.1 Introduction The ultimate solution for stateless persons is the acquisition of a nationality. In addition, the occurrence of statelessness should be limited as much as possible by preventing new cases from occurring. The 1961 Convention provides safeguards for State Parties to implement through their nationality laws in order to prevent people from becoming stateless. These safeguards are complemented by other international and regional instruments containing rights to a nationality and corresponding duties of States, like the 1997 European Convention on Nationality; the 2006 Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in Relation to State Succession; CEDAW; CRC and the ICCPR. Statelessness should be prevented at birth. Articles 1 to 4 of the 1961 Convention provide safeguards that prevent children from becoming stateless at birth. These include obligations towards children born in the State’s territory who would otherwise be stateless, as well as towards children born abroad to a person who is a national of the Contracting State who would otherwise be stateless.158 States must also ensure that foundlings and persons born on a ship or aircraft acquire a nationality (Articles 2 and 3 of the 1961 Convention). These safeguards are in line with Article 7 of the CRC, which grants the right to acquire a nationality. The 1961 Convention further seeks to prevent statelessness upon a change in civil status. This is laid down in Article 5 of the 1961 Convention and is complemented by Article 9 of CEDAW which grants women equal rights with men to acquire, change or retain nationality, in particular in the context of marriage. Safeguards against statelessness in case of renunciation, deprivation or loss of nationality are described in Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the 1961 Convention. Reduction of statelessness is possible through naturalization or other measures through which nationality may be acquired. In line with Article 32 of the 1954 Convention, states must “make every effort to expedite naturalization proceedings and to reduce as far as possible the charges and costs of such proceedings”. In the following, these measures to prevent and reduce statelessness will be discussed in more detail, where the national measures will be assessed against the relevant international standards. In this way, it can be concluded to what extent the national legal system is in line with the safeguards for prevention and reduction as set by the 1961 Convention and other instruments. 158 As included in paragraph 4 of Article 1 and Article 4 of the 1961 Convention. UNHCR STOCKHOLM, NOVEMBER 2014 45