Introduction from the High Commissioner Introduction from the High Commissioner I am delighted to present the outcomes of the High-Level Segment on Statelessness (HLS) convened on 7 October 2019 by UNHCR as part of its 70th Executive Committee meeting. Around the world millions of people are stateless and experience severe human rights deprivations as a result. Unable to participate fully in society, the stateless are often relegated to the shadows, and statelessness itself is poorly understood. The HLS, held at the mid-point of the ambitious #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness (2014-2024) (#IBelong Campaign), gave the international community an unprecedented opportunity to better understand and show its support for this urgent cause. The results were truly remarkable. This publication documents those results, including all 360 pledges received from States, international/regional organizations and civil society organizations. The next five years present a critical window of opportunity for all of us to implement these pledges and take decisive additional steps. While it’s clear that there is genuine, widespread political will to achieve the goals of the #IBelong Campaign, much work remains to be done, and the political will is not the same everywhere. The rise of ethnonationalism in many parts of the world and other negative developments since the Campaign was launched present new challenges and make the need for stepped up action that much greater. I urge States to draw inspiration from each other’s achievements to date, to prioritize rapid implementation of their pledges, and to take even bolder action. Statelessness is a solvable problem in a humanitarian landscape in which solutions are desperately needed. For its part, UNHCR will redouble its efforts to champion everyone’s right to a nationality and to support States and others working towards a world in which no one has to suffer the indignities of statelessness. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 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 3