EVALUATION OF UNHCR-LED INITIATIVES TO END STATELESSNESS – FINAL REPORT – VOLUME I the vision of the CRRF– whereby refugees have access to education and labor markets, can become self-reliant and ultimately make positive contributions to the communities and societies hosting them. Within this vision, the CRRF set out a series of elements for a people-centered refugee response in accordance with international law and best practice, to be adapted as needed to different contexts. While there are no direct references to statelessness within the CRRF, several elements of the framework are indirectly supportive of efforts to prevent and reduce statelessness. For example, the CRRF envisages birth registration for all refugee children and the provision of adequate assistance for obtaining other necessary documents related to civil status, such as marriage, divorce and death certificates. 42. A 2017 assessment of the #IBelong campaign40 called for a refresh and more resources, which was addressed over the next couple of years with a dedicated temporary officer appointed in the Division of External Relations (DER) in 2018 and the development of a 2020-2024 campaign strategy.41 Phase 4: 2018-2019: Sustaining momentum in an evolving institutional context 43. A Special Adviser on Statelessness appointed in 2018 was tasked to sustain campaign momentum and leverage coalitions in the lead up to the GAP mid-point in 2019. Strategic, high level engagement within UNHCR, externally, and in the regions contributed to a High-Level Segment (HLS) on Statelessness as part of ExCom in 2019. It provided an opportunity for States to demonstrate achievements and deliver concrete pledges for additional action. Further showcasing statelessness as an integral part of UNHCR's mandate, the Nansen Refugee Award was granted to a lawyer working on statelessness. The HLS and the Nansen Award combined contributed to a significant increase in media coverage on the issue of statelessness during 2019.42 UNHCR also utilized the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) as a platform for drawing attention to statelessness. The pledges made during the HLS were included as part of the GRF, bringing the combined total to 369 pledges in 2019. An Inter-agency Working Group on Statelessness led by UNHCR was established to develop and deploy a system-wide strategy for the UN. 44. These initiatives took place against a backdrop of an evolving institutional context. The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) were endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2018 on the basis of lessons learned from the CRRF, ushering in a new approach to UNHCR work, centered on the notion of addressing refugee issues in an integrated development context, with a “whole of society” approach linked to the 2030 Agenda commitment to leave no one behind. The GCR includes references to the importance of identifying, resolving and preventing statelessness as both a driver and consequence of displacement. It sets out a programme of collective action for meeting the objectives of the Compact, including the development of national, regional and international action plans to end statelessness (of which UNHCR’s Campaign to End Statelessness is key). The GCM covers ‘all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner’ and is grounded in States’ ‘responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights’. 43 It identifies the need for cooperative approaches among States to optimize the benefits of migration and addressing risks and challenges in countries of origin, transit, and destination. 44 45. The institution has also committed to a decisive effort to regionalize operations. Responsibility for programming and budgeting devolved further to the operation level starting in 2019. Regional Bureaux, previously based in headquarters45, have moved to the field, becoming more operational. The previous Regional Offices based in the field have become Multi-Country Offices, reporting to Regional Bureaux. This has had a significant impact on staffing and budgets. Global expenditures dedicated to statelessness increased slightly, by 15 percent, in the 2018-2019 time period. 46. Figure 1 presents a summary of the critical moments in UNHCR’s work on statelessness from 2001 to 2019. Jill Van Den Brule, ‘Campaign Assessment, #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness,’ UNHCR (Oct 2017). ‘#IBelong Campaign Long term strategy 2020-2024,’ UNHCR Public Outreach and Campaigns Section. UNHCR (2020) 2019 High Level Segment Findings (internal presentation). 43 Global Compact for Migration, 2018. https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/migration-compact. 44 Ibid. 45 For the MENA Regional Bureau, most staff were already located in Amman, previously known as the Director's Office in Amman (DOiA). 40 41 42 UNHCR / May, 2021 11