6 Pledges 2011 - Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on Refugees and Stateless Persons achieved attest to continued robust international commitment to refugees and stateless persons. In the run-up to the Ministerial Intergovernmental Event, my Office encouraged States to make pledges of changes in policy and legislation at national level to improve the protection of refugees and stateless people. The pledges presented were extraordinary. Over 90 States made pledges relating to refugees and asylum-seekers, including on the protection of women and children and durable solutions. Moreover, some States signalled their readiness to engage in a timely debate to fill protection gaps emerging from new forms of displacement, especially cross-border displacement linked to environmental change. I am especially heartened by the real breakthrough – what I would describe as a ‘quantum leap forward’ – in relation to the protection of stateless people. Statelessness was one of the most neglected areas of the global human rights agenda. Thanks to the preparatory process for the Ministerial Intergovernmental Event, which included expert and regional meetings to map and increase knowledge about the extent of the problem, awareness of the problem of statelessness has expanded significantly in all regions, and substantive progress has been made in addressing it. Over sixty States made statelessness-related pledges. Pledges included accession to one or both Statelessness Conventions, law reform to prevent or reduce statelessness and improvement of civil registration and documentation systems. At the close of the event, I pledged that my Office would actively engage with all UN Member States in order to support them in enhancing protection to refugees and stateless people and finding solutions to their plight. This publication is intended to capture the legacy of this key event, while assisting UN Member States to track the progress they are making in fulfilling their pledges. The pledges set out in this document constitute a profound expression of solidarity and commitment. They signal a watershed in the reinforcement of the international protection regime and, once implemented, will lead to tangible improvements in the lives of men, women, boys and girls affected by displacement and statelessness in the decade ahead. António Guterres United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees