While recognizing the central role of States, it should be borne in mind that the affected individuals and populations must be part of all efforts to address statelessness. First-hand information on situations is only accessible through consultation with affected stateless persons. In some cases, stateless populations also have the capacity to play a role in redressing their situation. For instance, provided there is an adequate legal and administrative framework in place, stateless persons may be able to initiate procedures to acquire a nationality. In other cases, it is not possible for affected populations to take initiative on their own behalf without negative, even life-threatening, repercussions. Many activities to address statelessness require outreach to affected populations, advocacy with all sectors of society, training and capacity-building. Civil society can make critical contributions in this respect and partners for UN action can come from among a broad swathe of actors, such as government offices, legal-aid networks, women’s rights groups, national human rights institutions, NGOs which provide development assistance as well as academia. Although advocating for and advising on reforms of legal, administrative, and practical obstacles that create statelessness is the primary avenue for the UN system to address statelessness, there are situations and circumstances where States do not express the political will to resolve the stateless status of individuals or populations on their territory, or might even take deliberate actions to exclude stateless individuals or populations from integrating into their citizenries. Furthermore, the increasing focus on State sovereignty with respect to protecting national security over the last decade has in turn tightened some States’ positions with respect to integrating migrants and other non-citizens into their respective body politics. Where faced with such political obstacles for addressing statelessness, the UN will need to pursue its role in promoting the respect for human rights and other international legal obligations related to combating statelessness and supporting civil society and other groups to achieve that end. 3. Promote and support action to prevent statelessness The UN should promote action by States and civil society to prevent statelessness, as doing so offers the most effective solution by preventing the phenomenon of statelessness from occurring in the first place. Identifying potential causes and targeted, timely action can prevent statelessness. Once statelessness occurs it is generally more difficult to resolve and raises additional protection needs. In many instances, statelessness is the result of foreseeable events: most importantly, gaps in nationality legislation that lead to statelessness at birth and failure to ensure all persons retain or acquire a new nationality at the time of State succession. At other times, statelessness is a result of deliberate distinctions with respect to the application of nationality laws and policies towards certain groups or individuals. The UN should engage with States to prevent statelessness to address both technical and political causes of statelessness. The UN should also encourage States to grant citizenship to those on their territory who would otherwise be stateless following State succession as well as children born on their territory who would otherwise be stateless at birth. Where persons have difficulties furnishing relevant proof to establish their nationality, they are at risk of not being considered nationals by a State. These persons and/or their descendants may therefore be at risk of statelessness. Necessary forms of proof may either relate to the question of whether a person is a national (for instance a national identity document or passport), or to the legal requirements which a person -5-