These avenues of action derive from guidance issued by the UNHCR’s Executive Committee13 and are endorsed by the UN General Assembly. Though specifically directed at States and UNHCR, this structured approach to addressing statelessness serves as a useful point of reference for other UN entities. Each of these actions is described in further detail below.14 1. Identification of statelessness The identification of statelessness is a prerequisite for any response strategy. Successful identification involves a comprehensive analysis of a given statelessness situation, through the following activities:  Analysis of legal and political frameworks related to nationality and statelessness of the State to which the relevant stateless person has links (e.g. through descent, birth, territory or residence);15  Support for data collection through census, surveys or administrative records (e.g. civil status registries) so that information on statelessness can be captured;  Gathering and analyzing data directly from stateless populations or those at risk of statelessness, e.g. problems related to documentation, education, health or security (taking into account diversity within a population, notably age and gender), and capacities of the community to tackle such problems; and  Awareness-raising on the definition of statelessness and assistance to State institutions to devise and implement statelessness determination procedures. 2. Prevention of statelessness Statelessness can be prevented by effectively addressing its causes in the following areas:  Strengthening the international legal framework: The UN should increase efforts to promote ratification/accession to the 1961 Convention. Relevant resolutions of the General Assembly have repeatedly “encourage[d] States that have not done so to give consideration to acceding” to this Convention.16 States should also be encouraged to ratify or accede to and improve implementation of other international and regional human rights instruments that affirm the right to a nationality and a child’s right to be registered immediately after birth and to acquire a nationality.  Correcting gaps in nationality legislation: The UN must proactively identify gaps in legislation and propose necessary amendments. The standards contained in the 1961 Convention, international human rights  13 Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme, Conclusion No. 106 (LVII) – 2006 on Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons of 2006. 14 Additional guidance can be found in UNHCR Action to Address Statelessness: A Strategy Note, available at http://www.unhcr.org/4b960ae99.html. 15 A 2008 UNHCR publication provides guidance for such analyses, Statelessness: An Analytical Framework for Prevention, Reduction and Protection, 2008, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49a28afb2.html. 16 See General Assembly Resolution 71/1, 64/127, 63/148, 62/124, 50/152 and 49/169. See also numerous Conclusions of UNHCR’s Executive Committee including Nos. 106, 102, 99, 95, 90, 87, 85 and 78. Human Rights Council resolutions on human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality 32/5, 26/14, 20/5, 13/2, 10/13 and 7/10. - 10 -