MCO COTE D’IVOIRE STATELESSNESS REPORT 2024 Statelessness remains a concern for the UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Côte d’Ivoire, covering Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, and Togo, with hundreds of thousands of people (including over 900,000 in Côte d’Ivoire) estimated to be stateless or at risk. The causes include weaknesses in civil registration systems, the presence of undocumented nomadic or border populations, restrictive or discriminatory nationality laws, and historical migrations. All MCO countries have appointed a government focal point under the aegis of ECOWAS, and all, except Ghana where the process is ongoing, have acceded to the UN statelessness conventions. UNHCR continues to support the countries covered by the MCO for Côte d’Ivoire in identifying, protecting, and finding solutions for stateless persons or those at risk of statelessness. In the context of the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, the countries concerned have made significant commitments towards the prevention and reduction of statelessness. The priority actions of the UNHCR MCO for Côte d’Ivoire are centered around the following areas: • Maintain an advisory and supportive role with governments on legislative reforms and the implementation of statelessness status determination, as well as in finding solutions to eradicate statelessness. • Collaborate with United Nations Country Teams (UNCT), development organizations, and the other relevant actors to identify permanent solutions to statelessness; UNHCR can also support transitional solutions, which may include innovative digital identity programs aimed at ensuring universal access to basic rights and services – while considering system interoperability, privacy parameters, and goal compatibility. • Continue to lead efforts and encourage multi-stakeholder partnerships for the production and analysis of quantitative and socio-economic data on statelessness. • Encourage the countries under its coverage to accede to and operationalize the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.