Joint Submission
to the Human Rights Council
at the 39th Session
of the Universal Periodic Review
TANZANIA
Introduction
1. Dignity Kwanza – Community Solutions, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality
Rights and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) make this joint submission
to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), on the right to a nationality and human rights
challenges pertaining to statelessness in Tanzania.
2. This submission focuses on:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Gender discrimination in the nationality law;
Weak safeguard against deprivation of nationality;
Children’s right to nationality; and
Protracted refugee situations leading to statelessness.
3. Dignity Kwanza- Community Solutions (DIGNITY Kwanza) is a non-profit organization
registered in Tanzania to safeguard and promote the human dignity of marginalized and
vulnerable populations for the attainment of social and economic development.
DIGNITY Kwanza envisions a Tanzania where every person lives with dignity and is
assured of the opportunity to achieve self-fulfilment. In line with its vision and mission,
DIGNITY Kwanza’s overall goal is to contribute to the creation of conditions and
opportunities for its clients to enjoy their rights, live with dignity, attain social and
economic growth and participate in the search for lasting solutions to their needs and
the overall nation-building. DIGNITY Kwanza’s targeted population are refugees, asylum
seekers, vulnerable migrants, people at risk of statelessness and stateless people, and
people living in extreme poverty.
4. The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights (GCENR) mobilises international action
for the removal of gender-discriminatory provisions from all nationality laws, through its
coalition of over twenty national, regional and international organisations and activists,
including steering committee members Equality Now, Equal Rights Trust, Institute on
Statelessness and Inclusion, Women’s Learning Partnership and Women’s Refugee
Commission.
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