1.8 Relationship between Governments and UNHCR UNHCR is a major protection agency in the four states and carries out activities related to statelessness in each country. It is the main agency dealing directly with protection of stateless persons in the region and the prevention and reduction of statelessness. It has carried out activities to raise awareness of statelessness and build the capacity of central government institutions and local authorities in dealing with it. UNHCR advocates for the revision of national legislation and administrative practice in conformity with international standards and accession to the main international instruments relating to statelessness, namely the 1954 Convention and the 1961 Convention. With the help of local NGOS as implementing partners, UNHCR also provides legal aid and assistance to individual stateless persons in Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. ~9~