“I think in the future, from my point of view […] if you want to know the real situation or the real deal, you need to go personally and ask it” […] if you want to know the real answer you need to have the connection” (interviewee 16). Therefore, in line with what has been found for the EMN in general (see Part 2.1), the Platform can foster knowledge exchange by bringing actors together, for instance by incentivizing them to participate in network meetings and activities (Soares, 2024). Thereby, the Platform is also taking on the role of a knowledge broker that acts as a sort of linking agent and engages in information exchange and relationship building (Knight & Lyall, 2013; Meyer, 2010). The personal relationships fostered through the events facilitate evidence engagement, as they enable participants to exchange more freely, which is particularly relevant considering that statelessness is a "delicate issue in some Member States" (11), which complicates data-sharing efforts (interviewees 1, 10, 15, & 16). In addition, the events do not necessarily target high-level officials (interviewees 13 &15), which has been identified as a fruitful approach by interviewees, mainly for two reasons. On the one hand, policymakers are often not familiar with the specificities and technical details, and challenges related to statelessness, making an exchange with them less productive (interviewees 13, 15, &16). On the other hand, discussions are said to be more productive if they are limited to practitioners only, as they can be reluctant to share information and challenges with policymakers or academic researchers in the room (interviewees 15 & 16), while policymakers themselves can also be reluctant to reveal any challenges or difficulties that their country may be facing (interviewees 15 &16, reiterated by 31). Therefore, the events create an opportunity for a rich exchange of practical insights on the expert level (interviewees 10, 13, & 15). This has been identified to really allow practitioners to exchange on the challenges and best practices in the field, as well as to gather these insights (interviewee 15). Next, in a second step, the Council of Europe, as well as the Platform, bring the evidence gathered at the event to the policy level, for instance through the Committee on Legal Cooperation (CDCJ) (interviewee 15). This is achieved, for example, through a rapporteur of the Platform events that provides a summary of the practical insights gathered to the policymakers (interviewee 15). Another benefit of this approach, according to one interviewee, is that issues related to statelessness are sometimes “really policy problems” and very sensitive topics for Member States to discuss, which is why this approach can help reduce tensions around the issue (interviewee 15). Lastly, while the Council of Europe has the policy connection, it was stressed how valuable it is for them to get “information on the real practices in the field” through the EMN Platform and its wide network of practitioners (interviewee 15). This is information that the COE does not always receive, but that is crucial to monitor statelessness and determine which issues to bring up at the policy level (interviewee 15). Thus, the EMN and the COE can together collect and translate knowledge emerging from the field to the policy level, thereby arguably enhancing evidence engagement and acting as a type of knowledge broker. 30