ing groups with relevant government authorities on improvement of nationality legislation and administrative practices. Government experts from Ukraine and the Slovak Republic shared experiences related to the prevention and reduction of statelessness. The Ukrainian expert explained how his country had resolved numerous cases of statelessness by ensuring acquisition of Ukrainian nationality by persons who had been deported from Ukraine during the Soviet era and their descendants, in particular the Crimean Tatars. Steps to prevent new cases of statelessness in this situation included the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with Uzbekistan, where many of the Crimean Tatars were residing. Ukraine also introduced a series of amendments to its nationality law, which removed the requirement to renounce the previous nationality before applying for Ukrainian citizenship. Ukraine also simplified its procedures. The Slovak expert spoke about how statelessness was avoided in the Slovak Republic after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia by allowing all citizens of Czechoslovakia the right to opt for either Slovak or Czech citizenship. There was no requirement that persons who were citizens of the Czech Republic had to renounce their nationality to become Slovak citizens. Slovakia also avoided problems because it generally permits dual nationality. Slovakia also became party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2000, after a compatibility study between the Conventions and Slovak legislation had found that the legislation was generally in line with the Convention obligations. The Slovak expert also explained how these Conventions have been implemented. Participants agreed that procedures for acquisition of nationality at birth and proper birth registration, as well as guarantees against statelessness when persons migrate from one nationality to another are good practices which serve to prevent statelessness. It was recommended that States consider accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and to introduce these standards into domestic laws to avoid statelessness and resolve existing statelessness situations in the region. Recommendations: In the field of prevention of statelessness, participants recommended the following: • to ensure that all children born on the territory of the State are registered at birth; • to reform legal provisions and administrative practices which cause statelessness in Central Asia, specifically provisions and practices under which: a. some children born on the territory of the State or to nationals abroad are at risk of statelessness due to lack of adequate legal safeguards to prevent statelessness at birth; b. a citizen is permitted to renounce his/her citizenship without possessing another citizenship or the assurance of acquiring one; c. prolonged residence abroad without consular registration can lead to loss of citizenship. • to consider accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. III. Reduction of Statelessness In their presentations, government participants referred to efforts that have been made by Central Asian states to reduce statelessness through naturalization of stateless persons, Small Changes ‫ ـ‬Big Gains: An Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic 12