Kyrgyz Republic nn The new citizenship law in 2007 created several avenues for reducing statelessness, including through recognition of stateless former USSR citizens as nationals, provided they could prove residence in Kyrgyzstan during the preceding five years. The law also created a simplified naturalization procedure for individuals able to prove a link with Kyrgyzstan. Subsequent amendments expanded the criteria for persons who could benefit from these procedures so that statelessness among particular populations could be resolved. nn UNHCR and its implementing partners conducted pilot surveys to identify the prevalence and causes of statelessness in the country and to propose recommendations to resolve protracted cases. nn The surveys resulted in the creation of an inter-ministerial process to address statelessness, particularly through the convening of annual High-Level Steering Meetings on the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and the adoption of a National Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Statelessness. nn At UNHCR’s 2011 Ministerial Meeting, Kyrgyzstan pledged to prevent and reduce statelessness and continue working in that direction in accordance with the National Action Plan. nn UNHCR provides capacity support to Government agencies in charge of citizenship issues and processing applications for citizenship determination. UNHCR also helps national NGOs to pursue complementary projects aimed at providing legal assistance, conduct community outreach, provide inputs in law amendment processes and make other contributions to the prevention and reduction of statelessness.1819 Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic As in other States formed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, statelessness in Kyrgyzstan has persisted for more than two decades. The causes are migration between the former Soviet republics, particularly within Central Asia, problems with modernizing and simplifying the rules and facilities for providing legal residence and identity documentation, and differences in nationality laws among the countries of the region. Although the Law on Citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic of 18 December 1993 (Citizenship Law) seemed to cast a wide net over those it recognized as Kyrgyz citizens,18 problems have arisen in practice, particularly among migrants from other former Soviet republics who never formally acquired or confirmed their nationality with any State. The situation is compounded by gaps in the laws of some States in the region that can result in withdrawal of nationality when citizens reside abroad without registering with the consular authorities of the country of nationality. As a result, it is estimated that several tens of thousands of stateless persons and persons of undetermined nationality reside in Kyrgyzstan.19 In the early 1990s, Kyrgyzstan was one of the primary destinations for refugees from Tajikistan. These refugees also became stateless because they 18 The Citizenship law recognized the following as Kyrgyz citizens: anyone who had been a citizen of the former Soviet Kyrgyz Republic on 15 December 1990 (the date when the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Kyrgyz Republic was adopted) and who had not declared possessing the citizenship of any other State; persons who acquired citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic between 15 December 1990 and 18 February 1994 (the date the new Citizenship Law entered into force) and who had not subsequently lost it; and those who acquire Kyrgyz nationality through the provisions set forth in the 1993 Citizenship Law. Please see Law on Citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic (as amended by the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic of 25 July 2002 No. 130) [Kyrgyzstan], 1333-XII, 18 December 1993, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/40fe4f3e4.html. 19 UNHCR has reported that the stateless population of Kyrgyzstan is estimated at between 21,000 and 32,000 individuals, although accurate figures on the scope of statelessness in the country are lacking. 13 CAMPAIGN TO END STATELESSNESS WITHIN 10 YE ARS