Civil Society Event © UNHCR/Chris de Bode The speaker from the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights addressed its work lobbying for the elimination of gender discrimination in nationality laws, highlighting the progress made in a number of countries around the world, including Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Iran (Islamic Republic of). The speaker from the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion called attention to troubling trends, including higher levels of conflict induced displacement and an increase in discrimination against minorities in many parts of the world. Khalid Hussain, a formerly stateless person, spoke of his experience as a member of the Bihari-Urdu speaking linguistic community in Bangladesh. He petitioned the Bangladeshi Government to ensure his and others’ rights to vote in the country, and through community legal empowerment projects, has worked to assist many members in his community to obtain documentation. The speaker from the Southern African Nationality Network addressed linkages in Africa between statelessness and displacement, colonization and Apartheid. Azizbek Ashurov, the Nansen Award winner for 2019, spoke to convey his hope that the achievements of the Kyrgyz Republic in eradicating all known cases of statelessness in 2019 could be replicated throughout Central Asia and ultimately worldwide. The Lyuli community of some 4,600 people live in remote areas of Kyrgyzstan. Their lifestyle is changing from nomadic to sedentary. Azizbek Ashurov, head of the Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders, has joined forces with the Kyrgyz authorities, UNHCR and others to assist the Lyuli community in obtaining documentation and nationality. 16 U N H C R > H I G H - L E V E L S E G M E N T O N S T A T E L E S S N E S S : R E S U LT S A N D H I G H L I G H T S