2018] NATIONALITY AND DEFINING “THE RIGHT TO HAVE RIGHTS” S891 State representatives convened to discuss the importance of reducing statelessness in promotion of “economic growth, social progress, stability and the rule of law.” 236 In 2015, the European Council adopted its Conclusions on Statelessness, recalling that “the right to a nationality is a fundamental right” and seeking to “reduc[e] the risk of discrimination or unequal treatment” suffered by stateless persons. 237 Despite the increased efforts of States with respect to ending global statelessness, there exist no clear statements by State governments reflecting the broad interpretation of nationality advanced by UNHCR. States have not suggested that they interpret the content of nationality to include the extension of political rights or to mean more than “juridical status necessary for legal protection.” 238 The only State-level criticism of current Latvian and Estonian nationality practice emanates from Russia, 239 which has been accused of using non-citizen ethnic Russians as pawns in a “political game” with the European Union. 240 The United States, the most vocal and financially-generous supporter of UNHCR, 241 has questioned the accuracy of UNHCR’s designation of Latvian 242 and Estonian 243 non-citizen na236. Summary Report AICHR-UNHCR Regional Workshop on Statelessness and the Rights of Women and Children Manila, Philippines 18 to 19 November 2011, ¶ 3 (Nov. 22, 2012). 237. Conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on Statelessness, Doc. 893/15 (Apr. 12, 2015). 238. Nationality of Natural Persons in Relation to the Succession of States, Note by the Secretariat: Comments and Observations Received from Governments, U.N. Doc. A/59/180/Add.2 (Oct. 15, 2004) (comment from Mexico). 239. Moscow Concerned over Statelessness in Baltics, SPUTNIK NEWS (Oct. 6, 2012), https://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/2012_10_06/Moscow-concerned-over-statelessnessin-Baltics/ [https://perma.cc/MRX6-QCD9] (“The Russian Federation has expressed concern over the unresolved problem of mass statelessness in the Baltic region, emphasizing that disregard for international obligations by states was fraught with serious political and social upheavals in society.”). 240. Sebastian Kohn, Russia and the Baltics: The Great Statelessness Game, EUROPEAN NETWORK ON STATELESSNESS (Oct. 25, 2012), https://www.statelessness.eu/blog/russia-andbaltics-great-statelessness-game [https://perma.cc/ZP25-3D8U]. 241. In 2016, the United States contributed more than four times as much to UNHCR than the next largest donor—the European Union, as an institution—and more than five times as much as the next largest State donor—Germany. UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNHCR FOR THE BUDGET YEAR 2016, at 1 (Sept. 30, 2016), http://www.unhcr.org/575e74567.html [https://perma.cc/S3JK-BE8A]. 242. See, e.g., U.S. STATE DEP’T, LATVIA 2015 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 11–12 (2015). The U.S. State Department consistently questions the accuracy of this designation in its Human Rights Report for Latvia. 243. See, e.g., U.S. STATE DEP’T, ESTONIA 2015 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 7–8 (2015). The U.S. State Department consistently questions the accuracy of this designation in its Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2954729