Chapter 1. Introduction function”.140 In 1995, the UNGA included statelessness in a resolution regarding UNHCR.141 More specifically, the UNGA asked UNHCR to promote accession to the 1954 Convention and the 1961 Convention as well as to provide relevant technical and advisory services pertaining to the preparation and implementation of nationality legislation to interested states.142 This provided UNHCR with a “broad global mandate” to address statelessness.143 A “turning point” can be seen in 2006, when UNHCR was provided with more guidance on the implementation of their mandate by UNHCR’s Executive Committee144, which was later endorsed by the UNGA.145 Furthermore, UNHCR has a specific role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention as a body to which a person claiming the benefit of the 1961 Convention may apply for the examination of his or her claim and for assistance in presenting it to the appropriate authority.146 Also, UNHCR has in practice fulfi lled the role of the Secretary-General in Article 33 of the 1954 Convention and advises states parties on the implementation of the 1954 Convention.147 With regard to the 1954 Convention, UNHCR has also provided further interpretative guidance in its Handbook on the Protection of Stateless Persons, focusing on determining statelessness, procedures for statelessness determination and the status of stateless people at the national level.148 On the 1961 Convention, UNHCR has issued Guidelines on Statelessness No. 4 and No. 5 on ensuring every child’s right to acquire a nationality and on loss and deprivation of nationality.149 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 Volker Turk, ‘UNHCR’s Supervisory Responsibility’ (2002) UNHCR New Issues in Refugee Research: Working Paper No. 67, 4 <https://www.refworld.org/docid/4fe405ef2.html> accessed 4 September 2021. UNGA Res 50/152 (1995) A/RES/50/152. Ibid, para 15. About the origins of UNHCR’s global mandate on statelessness and why it was only conferred decades after the adoption of the Statelessness Conventions see Matthew Seet, ‘The Origins of UNHCR’s Global Mandate on Statelessness’ (2016) 28 International Journal of Refugee Law 7. Mark Manly, ‘UNHCR’s Mandate and Activities to Address Statelessness’ in Alice Edwards & Laura van Waas (eds), Nationality and Statelessness under International Law (Cambridge University Press 2014) 88–115, 90. UNGA Res 61/137 (2006) A/RES/61/137. The UNGA already entrusted UNHCR with this specific task in relation to statelessness after the entry into force of the 1961 Convention, see UNGA Res 3274 (XXIX) (1974) A/RES/3274(XXIX) & UNGA Res 31/36 (1976) A/RES/31/36. Art 33 1954 Convention reads as follows: The Contracting States shall communicate to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations the laws and regulations which they may adopt to ensure the application of this Convention. See also Mark Manly, ‘UNHCR’s Mandate and Activities to Address Statelessness’ in Alice Edwards & Laura van Waas (eds), Nationality and Statelessness under International Law (Cambridge University Press 2014) 90–91. UNHCR, ‘Handbook on the Protection of Stateless Persons under the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons’ (Geneva, 2014) <www.unhcr.org/protection/statelessness/53b698ab9/ handbook-protection-stateless-persons.html> accessed 4 September 2021. UNHCR, ‘Guidelines on Statelessness No. 4: Ensuring Every Child’s Right to Acquire a Nationality through Articles 1–4 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness’ (2012) HCR/GS/12/04; UNHCR, ‘Guidelines on Statelessness No. 5: Loss and Deprivation of Nationality under Articles 5–9 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness’ (2020) HCR/GS/20/05. Intersentia 33