territory are considered nationals. Certain criteria can be
established, such as having been born on the territory
or having resided there since before a particular date, or
having parents or grandparents who meet these criteria.
Requirements and procedures for naturalization can
also be simplified to make it easier for stateless persons
to acquire nationality, for instance by reducing the
required number of years of residence or by reducing or
eliminating application fees.
How can UNHCR support?
•
•
Advocate and provide technical advice for the
reform of nationality laws, policies and procedures
to permit stateless persons to acquire nationality.
Deliver operational support to governments, parliaments, civil society, stateless-led organization
and stateless populations, including through activities to bolster State and civil society capacity.
These might include:
−
−
−
providing the State with support for nationality
campaigns, including by sharing existing good
practices;
supporting the deployment of mobile teams to
ensure that all sectors of the population have
access to procedures;
building support for long-term solutions through
dialogue, reconciliation and confidencebuilding, wherever statelessness is due to
discriminatory social attitudes.
RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
•
•
•
•
•
Article 15, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 7, Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 32, 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
UNHCR Executive Committee, Conclusion on identification, prevention and reduction of
statelessness and protection of stateless persons, N.106 – entire document
UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality: Resolution /
Adopted by the Human Rights Council 11 July 2014, A/HRC/RES/26/14
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
•
•
•
SDG 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
SDG 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
SDG 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to
justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
GLOBAL ACTION PLAN TO END STATELESSNESS 2.0
15