35. In its report for Lao PDR’s previous UPR review, the UNHCR has encouraged Laos to consider the possibility of mobile birth registration; no fees for birth registration; and civil status registries be established throughout all districts, including rural districts.40 Further, Lao PDR has been conducting assessments as to the potential for introduction of a digital birth registration system. Treatment of the Hmong Ethnic Group 36. There have been concerning reports in relation to the treatment of certain religions and ethnic groups such as the Hmong people (including some 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers who were repatriated to Lao PDR in the aftermath of the Vietnam War) and Christians. While such discriminatory practices may not directly relate to issues of statelessness, reports that authorities have restricted the ability of movement of such persons, or refused to issue passports are concerning. Such practices may have the effect of denying a person's citizenship. Those who remain undocumented are at risk of being unable to prove their citizenship. Recommendations 37. Based on the above analysis, the co-submitting organisations urge reviewing States to make the following recommendations to Lao PDR: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. Withdraw all reservations to the ICCPR and CAT and accede to all relevant human rights, refugee and statelessness instruments, in particular to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions; Identify and close possible gaps in the Nationality Law Framework to ensure no person is rendered stateless, no child born stateless and that the criteria for a stateless person to apply for Lao citizenship are reasonable; Publish accurate, up-to-date and disaggregated data and information on the size and profiles of the stateless populations in Laos PDR and the barriers these populations face in acquiring or confirming citizenship; Ensure free universal birth registration in Laos PDR, as a tool for protecting the right to a nationality and preventing statelessness, including implementing mobile or postal birth registration services to assist those populations in remote or regional areas, in particular those belonging to the Hmong Ethnic Group; Continue its efforts in raising awareness of statelessness issues to promote participation by the population in birth registration procedures; Provide for unrestricted freedom of information, opinion and expression and foster and support civil society engagement in the issue of statelessness. Survey 2011–2012 (Vientiane, December 2012), p. 238, available at: https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR268/FR268.pdf. 40 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Submission by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees For the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Compilation Report – Universal Periodic Review: Lao People's Democratic Republic , June 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54c0d9414.html 9