The Need for Principles on Citizenship Stripping Following two years of research and consultations, ISI, Open Society Justice Initiative, the Asser Institute and the Ashurst Law Firm are in the final stages of developing a set of Principles on Deprivation of Nationality as a National Security Measure and an accompanying Commentary to the Principles. The Principles restate international law, reflect existing standards and draw on practices that guide and limit State power to deprive persons of their nationality as a national security measure. The Commentary provides further background analysis and discussion of the international law standards and norms upon which the principles are grounded. The Principles have been developed through extensive consultation with global experts in the fields of human rights, statelessness, national security and counterterrorism, and related fields of migration, refugee rights, child rights, discrimination and international law. On the margins of ISI’s World Conference, an expert meeting was held to discuss the progress made with this project and hear thoughts and feedback from experts around the world on a draft text of the Principles. Those consulted include leading academics, UN Special Rapporteurs, UN experts, senior diplomats and litigators. The ISI team is now finalising the Principles and Commentary, which will be launched in the Spring of 2020, marking the start of a “year of action” against citizenship stripping as a political weapon. Over the course of the year, we will engage in concerted efforts to draw attention to this issue and develop and share resources to raise awareness and bring to the fore, the international standards that states are obligated to uphold. A series of launch events, academic seminars and debates and UN side-events will be complemented by the implementation of a media and outreach strategy as well as the development and dissemination of further resources. The Principles and Commentary, as well as ISI’s World’s Stateless Report (see box to the right), will be at the heart of this year of action, as we step up efforts to draw attention to, and combat practices of arbitrary deprivation of nationality. World’s Stateless Report: Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality In 2020, ISI will publish the third edition of its flagship World’s Stateless Report, this year, focusing on the theme of Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality. The report, which will complement the publication of the Principles on Deprivation of Nationality as a National Security Measure and Commentary, will bring together research and analysis on historical and contemporary practices of deprivation of nationality, which has impacted both individuals and entire communities. The report will feature chapters on relevant international standards, comparative research on deprivation of nationality as a national security measure and a discussion of cases of mass deprivation of nationality as a result of race discrimination and situations of precarious citizenship. The latter will include a focus on mass deprivations against the Rohingya, Dominicans of Haitian origin and Assamese of Bengali origin in India. A further chapter will provide the perspectives of leading experts from different fields, including political science, security and philosophy on the phenomenon of denationalisation. The report will also include an exclusive interview with UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism and xenophobia and ISI Advisory Council Member, Tendayi Achiume. As with previous World’s Stateless Reports, this third edition will also feature an overview and reflection on the state of statelessness in the world today, with a number of country analyses as well as a special feature to mark the halfway point of UNHCR’s #IBelong campaign to end statelessness by 2024. 30