• Empowering individuals: The establishment of legal services for poor and marginalized stateless persons, as well as public information and education campaigns, are essential to ensure that stateless persons are aware of nationality and documentation procedures and are able to avail themselves of them. For example, NGOs can assist stateless persons in completing applications for acquisition of nationality, gathering relevant supporting documentation and also providing financial support for fees or necessary travel. Where such applications are rejected, assistance to file an appeal with a court can be critical. • Promoting social and economic inclusion of formerly stateless populations: Acquisition of nationality cannot undo the effects of statelessness overnight. Where efforts to reduce statelessness are successful, further action should be taken to ensure that new citizens are aware of their rights and responsibilities and of the procedures to avail themselves of services which had not been accessible to them before. Issuance of nationality documentation is critical to the enjoyment of rights attached to nationality. Development programmes in relevant countries should consider including formerly stateless populations among the groups requiring specific attention. Depending on the situation, activities in various sectors could be needed, for instance: vocational training where stateless people had been barred from formal employment or access to housing where they were not able to acquire property or obtain a construction permit. Lastly, there may be a need for peace-building activities between communities if there was strong resistance by some segments of society to integration of the formerly stateless population. 4. Protection of stateless persons Protection of stateless persons comprises all the activities that address problems stateless persons face in their daily lives.24 Stateless person are marginalized and often face difficulties in accessing education, health care or formal employment. They are also subject to abuse, discriminatory treatment, arbitrary detention, and risk falling victim to crimes like trafficking. Whenever possible, interventions to protect stateless persons should be undertaken within a broader strategy to prevent and reduce statelessness, in particular since acquisition of a nationality empowers stateless persons to improve their daily lives on their own. • Strengthening the international legal framework: The UN should increase efforts to promote ratification or accession to the 1954 Convention which has only 65 States parties as at 1 January 2011. In doing so, reference may be made to relevant resolutions of the General Assembly which has repeatedly “encourage[d] States that have not done so to give consideration to acceding” to this Convention.25 Furthermore, States should be encouraged to accede to and improve implementation of other international and regional human rights instruments that enhance the protection of the rights of stateless persons. • Developing national legal frameworks and supporting institutions: Irrespective of whether or not the State is party to the 1954 Convention, the UN should encourage States to incorporate a definition of statelessness in line with the international definition into national legislation. Legislation 24 25 As understood in the context of UNHCR’s Executive Committee Conclusion No. 106. See resolutions referred to in footnote 13, above. - 12 -