• If a request for ratification or accession has been introduced before parliament within a reasonable amount of time, after reviewing the necessary information, vote in favour of accession. • If the government fails to bring the matter before parliament within a reasonable amount of time, use parliamentary procedure to ask the government to explain why and to encourage the government to begin the process of ratification/accession without delay. • If the government has signed one or both of the Conventions but has delayed the ratification process, use parliamentary procedure to inquire why the government is delaying and to encourage the government to expedite the process. Use your right to legislative initiative to submit a bill on the matter. • If the government opposes ratification/accession, try to find out why, in detail. If necessary, help to eliminate doubts and misunderstandings and use your political network to accelerate the process. Advocate with your constituents to advance the cause of ratification/accession. • If you are a parliamentarian of a State created by the partition or disintegration of other States, the treaties to which the predecessor State had acceded do not automatically bind the new State. New States can accede to the predecessor State’s obligations, accede as new States, or indicate their intention not to be bound by the treaties concluded by the predecessor State. • After the Conventions have been ratified and entered into force, make sure that your parliament adopts national legislation that corresponds to the provisions contained in the Conventions. Use parliamentary procedure to ensure that the government sends draft legislation or amendments to existing legislation to parliament within a reasonable amount of time. • If the government has sent parliament a request for ratification accompanied by reservations limiting the scope of the treaty, objections, or declarations of understanding, and you have ascertained that such limits are groundless, promote the general interest over sectarian or circumstantial interests. • If the government’s reservations limiting the scope of the treaty, its objections, or its declarations of understanding are no longer valid, use parliamentary procedure to enquire into the government’s intentions, and take action with the aim of having the restrictions lifted. • If you require advice and assistance on accession and/or on drafting national legislation that adheres to the principles contained in the Conventions, contact the UNHCR office located in, or responsible for, your State (see Annex 4 for a list of UNHCR offices). How can parliamentarians raise awareness about the issue of statelessness? As the persons responsible for crafting their nation’s laws, parliamentarians are in an excellent position to advocate for the reduction or elimination of statelessness and to ensure that the rights of stateless persons are protected. Parliamentarians must not only encourage their governments to adopt laws that conform to international standards, but they must also win the support of their constituents. Only when civil society understands the problems associated with statelessness will it support parliamentarians’ efforts to resolve those problems. 51