Nationality and Cases of Statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa Human Rights reaffirms that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality, as outlined already in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. As such, a person may only have their nationality withdrawn in situations which are regulated by law and never on discriminatory grounds.35 Moreover, states should seek to avoid statelessness in the context of loss and deprivation of nationality.36 Also in the Arab Charter on Human Rights, states are encouraged to ensure that women have the right to pass their nationality to their children – a norm which is outlined in stronger terms at the UN level in article 9 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.37 With respect to ensuring that the fundamental rights of stateless people are protected, in spite of their lack of nationality, a wide range of instruments at both the UN and regional levels are again relevant. Indeed, the very development of human rights law is premised on the enjoyment of rights as a matter of human dignity, regardless of a person’s nationality or statelessness. This means that the vast majority of those rights which and whose parentage or other origins are unknown. 35 - See, for example, the succession of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on arbitrary deprivation of nationality, including A/HRC/RES/20/5 of 26 July 2012, available at: . 36 - See also articles 5-9 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. 37 - Article 9(2) unequivocally states that “States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children”. http://www.refworld.org/docid/5016631b2.html 34