AHMR African Human Mobilty Review - Volume 8 No 3, SEP-DEC 2022 of discriminatory and exclusive legal and societal structures. For example, SDGs 3 and 4 respectively aspire to a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare and education. If ‘everyone’ includes the stateless, as the intention of the drafters of the SDGs implied, why are they often denied these fundamental services? Many of the goals and targets demand structural change, thus aligned with human rights obligations. SDGs 5, 10, and 16 stand out in addressing some of the root causes of statelessness (discrimination in all its manifestations) including factors that disadvantage the stateless. The SDGs’ approach enhances the integration of human rights frameworks and development processes to address human vulnerability and exclusion. Its significant window of opportunity can be expanded in the post-2030 global development agenda setting. Explicit provisions to integrate statelessness and other vulnerable groups need to be formulated and mainstreamed into the postSDGs (2030) global development agenda. This should encompass a full-fledged goal, with targets that encourage inclusion and prioritise issues and indicators connected to statelessness in national and regional development plans. Furthermore, it is crucial to develop a collaborative strategy on statelessness, that is tailored to local (national) and regional contexts and political realities. Statelessness actors, including human rights, migration, and development experts, should be directly involved in the conversation, programming, and implementation strategies. A strategy, incorporating joint and complementary advocacy, communication, and stakeholders’ engagement among development and human rights actors, the private sectors, local government and traditional institutions, civil society, and the diplomatic community can periodically monitor and evaluate the ‘state of statelessness’ at all levels of governance (including transnational). Finally, international finance entities and development institutions have crucial roles to play by supporting applied research in mapping the nexus between statelessness, poverty, deprivation, and vulnerability. The outcome should be evidence based and provide a better understanding of the root causes and consequences of statelessness, including mechanisms for effective reforms. 74