A/HRC/25/28 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 19 December 2013 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-fifth session Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report examines legislative and administrative measures that may lead to deprivation of nationality, paying particular attention to situations where persons affected may be left stateless. Taking into consideration information collected from States, United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders, the report discusses the regulation of loss or deprivation of nationality in domestic laws and recalls the international norms and standards that limit the discretion of States to withdraw a person’s nationality. It emphasizes the importance of integrating safeguards to ensure that statelessness is prevented when loss or deprivation of nationality is provided for in legislation. It also addresses the fundamental right of every child to a nationality and the importance of measures for the acquisition of nationality by a child who would otherwise be stateless. The report recalls the key role that due process guarantees play in preventing arbitrary deprivation of nationality and reminds States of the necessity of providing an effective remedy in the context of decisions on nationality. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to documentation attesting nationality. GE.13-19038 *1319038*