“In 2011 the United Arab Emirates had taken another important step in cementing the rights of women when the United Arab Emirates President issued a decree according citizenship rights to children born to Emirati women but whose father is not Emirati. It accords them citizenship rights, and at the age of 18 they have the choice of taking United Arab Emirates nationality or retaining the father’s nationality. The Government was taking the implementation of recommendations on women’s rights very seriously and was in the process of adopting a National Strategy for the Advancement of Women for 2013 to 2017.”6 While the Institute acknowledges this positive development, it reiterates that the UAE’s law, policy, and practice nonetheless falls short of international standards on gender equality. The fact that a mother cannot transfer nationality to her children on an equal basis to men must be addressed. Relevant international and national law 6. The UAE has not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). However, the UAE, as a Member of the United Nations is obligated by the Charter of the United Nations to promote “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion”.7 The human rights and fundamental freedoms referred to in Article 55 (c) of the UN Charter are specified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and many are also recognised as principles of customary international law and are therefore universally applicable. Article 15 of the UDHR states that “everyone has the right to a nationality” and “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality”. 7. According to Article 7 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), which the UAE is party to enshrines every child’s right to be registered immediately after a birth and to acquire a nationality, and protects all children from statelessness. 8. Article 24 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights states that “No citizen shall be arbitrarily deprived of his original nationality, nor shall his right to acquire another nationality be denied without a legally valid reason.” 9. The UAE therefore has strong international treaty obligations to ensure that all children born on its territory, regardless of their ethnicity or status or that of their parents or guardians, will acquire Emirati nationality if they would otherwise be stateless. 10. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) states in Article 9 that: (2) States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children. The UAE has been a State party to CEDAW since 2004. However, it has in place a reservation to Article 9.8 6 Ibid. at 16 Article 55 (c) of the Charter of the United Nations. According to Article 56 of the Charter, It is the obligation of all member states of the UN to take “joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization for the achievement of the purposes set forth in Article 55” 8 A/HRC/WG.6/15/ARE/2 7