UNHCR has been involved in statelessness issues and with stateless persons since it began operations in 1950. The organization is mandated by the United Nations to protect refugees and to help them find solutions to their plight. Many of the refugees the organization has assisted throughout the years have also been stateless. Indeed, over the past several decades, the link between the loss or denial of national protection and the loss or denial of nationality has been well established. It is also now generally understood that possession of a nationality and the ability to exercise the rights inherent in nationality help to prevent involuntary and coerced displacements of persons. Since 1995, the mandate of the office has been expanded by the UN General Assembly to include responsibilities relating to non‑refugee stateless persons and prevention and reduction of statelessness more broadly. These resolutions are universal in scope and do not restrict UNHCR’s activities to those states which are party to the statelessness conventions. How did UNHCR become involved with the issue of statelessness? Over the years, UNHCR’s role in helping to reduce the incidence of statelessness and in assisting stateless persons has expanded. Its work in the field of statelessness is mandated by UN General Assembly resolutions, and through the recommendations of the organization’s own governing body, the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme (ExCom). ExCom is composed of representatives from countries – 87 countries are members as at January 2014 – elected by ECOSOC, based on their demonstrated interest in finding solutions to refugee problems. Article 11 of the 1961 Convention calls for the establishment “of a body to which a person claiming the benefit of this Convention may apply for the examination of his claim and for assistance in presenting it to the appropriate authority”. When the 1961 Convention entered into force in 1975, the UN General Assembly asked UNHCR to fulfil this role. With respect to the 1954 Convention, ExCom Conclusion 106 of 2006, endorsed by the UN General Assembly, calls on UNHCR to “provide technical advice to States Parties on the implementation of the 1954 Convention so as to ensure consistent implementation of its provisions”. In 1995, the ExCom adopted a comprehensive set of guidelines on the issue of statelessness: the Conclusion on the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and the Protection of Stateless Persons (Conclusion no 78). ExCom’s 1995 Conclusion on statelessness “encourages UNHCR to continue its activities on behalf of stateless persons” and “requests UNHCR actively to promote accession to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness”. The ExCom Conclusion also asks UNHCR “actively to promote the prevention and reduction of statelessness through the dissemination of information, and the training of staff and government officials; and to enhance cooperation with other interested organizations”. In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/50/152) that similarly encourages the High Commissioner to continue activities on behalf of stateless persons and to promote accession to and implementation of the 1954 and 1961 Conventions. 44