SUDAN CITIZENSHIP SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MS. ERIKA FELLER ASSISTANT HIGH COMMISSIONER - PROTECTION, UNHCR Khartoum, 6 November 2010 Introduction It is a great pleasure to join distinguished representatives of the governments of National Unity and the South, academics and experts on citizenship, and members of the international community here in Sudan, as the country approaches the final phase of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and an historic referendum. That this symposium is described as a technical meeting on citizenship issues does not in any way downplay the importance of the issues with which it is dealing. It is being organised by UNHCR, under its mandate and in collaboration with UNMIS, as part of a package of support we are providing to the CPA parties and government institutions. Our aim is to ensure that all possible expert resources and international and national best practices are made available to assist the parties to find the best solutions for the issues on their agenda, regardless of the outcome of the referendum. We do not underestimate their complexity and their long-term impact and are committed to continue to provide all necessary support which may be required of us. I wish to emphasize from the outset what is at stake and why this symposium is so important. Depending on the outcome of the referendum in South Sudan, the decisions made by authorities in North and South on nationality will have an immediate impact on the lives of millions of people. If they are not well drafted, the rules establishing who is a national of whatever state can turn citizens into stateless persons overnight. What this means in practice is that the rights and opportunities of many thousands of men, women and children are effectively obliterated, and with this, for host states, the seeds of new conflict and more displacement are firmly planted anew. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement UNHCR has entered into this process in full understanding of the strengths and the continuing challenges for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, within whose overall frame our discussions over the next two days must be placed. Undeniably, despite the critiques, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has many achievements to its credit. The Sudanese, in the north and in the south, have much to be proud of. The CPA ended one of Africa’s longest running conflicts, which left an estimated 2 million dead, 428,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and 2.5 million internally displaced. Thanks to both sides, the peace has largely held for over five years. The CPA also created a framework in which both NCP and SPLM could talk with each other, map out common positions, and re-develop mutual trust - even in areas of continuing disagreement. The magnitude of these achievements, after more than two decades of continuous conflict, cannot be overstated.