Figure 5 | MRCTD issuance by region – refugees Figure 6 | MRCTD issuance by region – stateless persons 6. Conclusion While all national passports are now machine readable, travel documents for refugees and stateless persons lag behind to achieve this same standard. Overall, only 43 per cent of the 193 ICAO members are providing machine readable travel documents to refugees, while a mere 33 per cent are providing machine readable travel documents to stateless persons. More support is needed to raise these rates and to help States include refugees and stateless persons in their documentation/civil registration systems. State-provided access to a travel document for refugees and stateless persons that adheres to international standards helps curb irregular movement, combat human trafficking, reduce exploitation, lower rates of those making risky journeys and strengthen border security, while still offering international protection when moving across borders. “ Travel documents serve as a gateway for refugees to engage with the world, connect with their futures, and access opportunities. Jean Marie, Rwandan refugee in Kenya ” Promisingly at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, 15 States have made commitments to either begin issuing MRCTDs, to improve their systems or to support other States in doing so. This is a hopeful starting point to assist relevant States in their overdue transition from manual travel documents to machine readable ones to raise issuance rates while also working together to address regional differences. A key aspect of the regional differences in issuance rates 6