Until the problem of statelessness is eliminated, however, persons recognized as stateless must be protected. Acceding to and implementing the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and adopting implementing legislation will ensure that the rights and obligations of stateless persons are respected. As discussed above, the 1954 Convention does not alter an individual’s nationality, nor does it oblige States to admit non-refugee stateless persons to their territory. Applying the provisions of the 1954 Convention is not a substitute for granting nationality. Wherever possible, States should facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of stateless persons who are living on their territory through nationality legislation and practice. This solution is known as local integration. In 2005, the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan granted expedited access to citizenship to numerous stateless refugees originating from Tajikistan so that they could begin to rebuild their lives in their State of asylum. In some exceptional cases, it may not be possible for stateless persons to have their legal status normalized in the country in which they are living. Resettlement in another country may thus be the appropriate solution for these individuals. While States’ resettlement criteria usually do not cover situations of statelessness (resettlement is more often used for refugees), UNHCR’s Executive Committee recently called upon States to expand their criteria to include stateless persons. In its Conclusion No. 95 (2003), ExCom “Encourage[d] (ExCom) States to cooperate with UNHCR on methods to resolve cases of statelessness and to consider the possibility of providing resettlement places where a stateless person’s situation cannot be resolved in the present host country or other country of former habitual residence, and remains precarious…” UNHCR can offer advice and assistance to States on both the integration and the resettlement of stateless persons. 26