▪ Have an informed discussion about good practices and policy approaches in this area to support and promote the implementation or the ratification of the European Convention on Nationality (ETS No. 166), the Convention on the avoidance of statelessness in relation to State succession (CETS No. 200); the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1954) and the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1961). ▪ Enhance co-operation and dialogue between members states and participating organisations on statelessness issues in Europe. ▪ Advance the goals of the UNHCR #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024 and contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDG 16.9 - “Legal identity for all”. 52. The Conference was opened by Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Migration and Refugees, and Ms. Gillian Triggs, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection (AHC-P), who welcome the participants. 53. In his opening speech, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, informed participants on the new Council of Europe Action Plan on protecting vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum in Europe (2021-2025), adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 5 May 2021, which defines vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum as: “persons found to have special needs after individual evaluation of their situation and who are entitled to call on states’ obligation to provide special protection and assistance”. As such, stateless persons are particularly vulnerable, subject to states’ obligation to provide them with special protection and assistance. He stressed in this respect that the Action Plan includes the elaboration of practical guidance to address vulnerabilities throughout asylum and migration procedures, including reception conditions and an explicit reference to the need to ensure access to law and justice for vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum. 54. Ms. Gillian Triggs underlined that ensuring that all persons have a nationality helps building social cohesion and integration and enables societies to capitalize on the capacities and talents of all its members. Hence, this creates inclusive societies, fostering the prosperity of individuals as well as countries. She recalled that statelessness poses a challenge to social and economic development, and it is for this reason that all the countries in the world decided to include the target of “legal identity for all, including birth registration,” among the Sustainable Development Goals they seek to achieve by 2030. HIGH LEVEL PANEL: ERADICATING STATELESSNESS IN EUROPE: PROGRESS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 55. Mr Joao Arsenio de Oliveira, Chair of the European Committee on Legal Co-operation of the Council of Europe was in conversation with Ms. Gillian Triggs, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection (AHC-P), UNHCR; Mr. Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights, Council of Europe; Mr. Chris Nash, Director of the European Network on Statelessness and Ms. Christiana Bukalo, stateless individual and Founder of Statefree e.V. 19