Update – southern Africa Fair protection process and documentation UNHCR continues to support States in the region to strengthen asylum systems. Although 12 out of 16 countries already have national asylum systems in place, these efforts are focused on strengthening asylum procedures, building the capacity of eligibility officers and enhancing management and decisions. In South Africa, UNHCR signed a “backlog project” agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2021, with the aim of reducing 88 per cent of pending asylum applications. In Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, UNHCR reached agreement with the Governments to enhance the registration of asylumseekers, refugees and stateless persons using its biometric identity management registration system. The Office also supported alternatives to detention in Zimbabwe, which were incorporated in the referral mechanism for asylum-seekers and refugees. Qualitative data on statelessness was being collected in nine operations (Angola, the Congo (Republic of), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), while Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia were considering including statelessness-related questions in upcoming population censuses. In Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa, UNHCR’s partners helped identify and assist stateless persons or those at risk of statelessness through legal clinics. In the case of those born in transit and in host States, birth certificates issued by the civil registry helped prevent statelessness. In Malawi and Zambia, UNHCR promoted the use of national identity documentation to help prevent refoulement and arrest; facilitate inclusion in national health, education and social protection systems; and enable legal access to the labour market, as well as to banking and mobile and other digital services. In the Congo (Republic of), UNHCR supported a government initiative in 2021, during which 25,000 undocumented Congolese received a birth certificate, including 5,000 people from the indigenous minority. Ensuring protection from violence and exploitation Gender-based violence remained a major protection concern in both emergency and protracted situations. In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNHCR protection monitoring recorded some 7,700 incidents, following which 2,400 survivors were identified and given support. UNHCR prioritized community-based approaches and undertook preventive activities including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A regional learning event on mainstreaming the mitigation of gender-based violence targeted 37 staff in southern Africa. This was followed by an in-depth series of workshops involving 28 staff in Mozambique that allowed for risks to be analysed and actions taken in all sectors of the response. A network of UNHCR focal points covering all operations was mobilized to strengthen efforts aimed at prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and UNHCR played a leadership role at the inter-agency level through coordination of PSEA working groups, as well as training and awareness-raising initiatives. UNHCR’s work on PSEA was especially critical in emergency operations, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Mozambique. UNHCR also increased efforts to protect LGBTQI+ asylum-seekers and refugees who were exposed to heightened protection risks. Improved data was a priority for strengthening advocacy at all levels. UNHCR worked to strengthen child protection including through advocating inclusion in national services. In South Africa, for example, a dialogue with between United Nations partners and government stakeholders in December 2021 led to progress on inclusion. In Mozambique, UNHCR worked with displaced youth, strengthening their capacity to play a positive role in the communities. 3