- Stateless persons are entitled to non-discriminatory treatment - Stateless persons have the right to religion, education, employment, housing, and access to courts - Stateless persons have the right to freedom of movement, to receive identity and travel documents, and to protection from arbitrary expulsion from the State territory It further provides safeguards against statelessness due to loss, renunciation, or deprivation of nationality; or during State succession. It provides special protection for for children who are found in the State and whose parentage is unknown (commonly referred to as “foundlings”) and children born on ships or aircrafts [7] For more information about the UN Conventions on Statelessness and their ratification status see: https://www.unhcr.org/what-we-do/protect-human-rights/ending-statelessness/un-conventions-statelessness. CONTENT It provides the following rights and minimum standards of treatment: It establishes that children must acquire the nationality of the State where they are born if they cannot acquire any other nationality or “would otherwise be stateless”. It ensures the right to nationality at birth and throughout life. It recognises that protection is not a substitute for nationality; States must ultimately work to resolve statelessness CORE PRINCIPLES It establishes the legal definition of a “stateless person” and requires States to set up Statelessness Determination Procedures (SDPs) to identify stateless persons in need of protection. To prevent new cases of statelessness and reduce existing ones. To protect the rights and dignity of stateless persons until their nationality is resolved. 1961 CONVENTION Ratification status: 24 African States CONTEXT AND PURPOSE 1954 CONVENTION Ratification status: 31 African states The UN Conventions on Statelessness [7] 15