Previous UPR of Latvia under the First and Second Cycle 5. Latvia was previously reviewed during the first and second cycles of the UPR, in 2011 and 2016, respectively. 6. During the first cycle, Latvia received 10 recommendations related to the right to nationality, statelessness, and the rights of ‘non-citizens’. Ecuador recommended Latvia guarantee respect for the human rights of foreigners, regardless of their immigration status, especially those of vulnerable groups such as stateless persons, and step up efforts to improve the integration of ethnic and minority linguistic groups, including stateless persons. Latvia accepted both recommendations. 4 Ecuador also recommended Latvia effectively comply with the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which Latvia noted.5 7. Latvia also received recommendations from Costa Rica 6 and the Netherlands 7 to facilitate naturalisation and acquisition of citizenship, which it accepted. It also received recommendations from Canada8 to revise its legislation to provide automatic acquisition of citizenship by children born to non-citizens after 21 August 1991, and from Norway9 to change the Citizenship Law to provide citizenship automatically to new-born children of non-citizen parents, which it partially noted, on the grounds that: “Latvia reminds that the defined circle of citizens is an integral part of a sovereign state. Latvia would like to emphasize that, presently, all noncitizens, including the children of non-citizens, are guaranteed a practical and effective access to Latvian citizenship through registration and/or naturalisation, which has so far been used by more than 140,000 non-citizens. This number as such already demonstrates the effectiveness of the process of citizenship and naturalisation”. However, as addressed in this submission, this does not cover stateless children born on the territory (see para. 31). 8. Russia recommended Latvia revise its legislation to provide for automatic acquisition of nationality by children of non-citizens on similar grounds. 10 This recommendation was noted. Latvia also received a recommendation from Brazil to further facilitate the acquisition of citizenship and increase efforts to promote the registration of newborns, which it accepted. 11 Australia also recommended Latvia seek to further decrease the number of non-citizens and to improve the social and political rights of non-citizens, which Latvia partially accepted.12 4 A/HRC/18/9/Add.1, Addendum to the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Latvia, 1st cycle, 14 September 2011, Recommendations 91.51; 92.16. 5 Ibid,, Recommendation 94.7 6 Ibid., Recommendation 91.47. 7 Ibid., Recommendation 91.48. 8 Ibid., Recommendation 93.42. 9 Ibid., Recommendation 93.43. 10 Ibid., Recommendation 94.6. 11 Ibid., Recommendation 91.48. 12 Ibid., Recommendation 93.44. 2