H OW U N H C R A SS I STS STAT E S TO AVO I D STAT E L E SS N E SS T he UN General Assembly selected UNHCR for the task of assisting States to avoid statelessness not only because refugee and statelessness problems sometimes overlap, but also because dealing with statelessness requires, in many ways, a similar approach to dealing with refugees. Both populations lack protection. UNHCR helps States to implement the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness by offering technical advice regarding legislation and operational support to promote the implementation of measures to prevent and reduce statelessness. UNHCR’s global mandate on statelessness is reinforced by a specific duty conferred by Article 11 of the 1961 Convention: to assist individuals who may benefit from the instrument’s provisions in presenting their claim to the appropriate State authorities. THE LINK WITH THE 1954 CONVENTION R E L AT I N G TO T H E STAT U S O F STAT E L E SS P E R SO N S E ven if they have acceded to and implemented the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and other international legal standards relating to the prevention and reduction of statelessness, States may still be confronted with stateless individuals or groups. It is therefore vital that there are measures in place to ensure the protection of stateless persons. The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons is the primary international instrument that aims to regulate and improve the status of stateless persons and to ensure that they are accorded their fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination. Acceding to both the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions is a key step to equip States to tackle statelessness. More detailed information about the 1954 Convention can be found in Protecting the Rights of Stateless Persons – The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (UNHCR, 2014). Preventing and R e d u c i n g S t a t e l e ss n e ss 7