Handbook, Survey of Protection Provided to Palestinian Refugees at the National Level).119 The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1961 Statelessness Convention) aims to reduce or eliminate cases of statelessness by addressing and recommending solutions to situations that often result in persons becoming stateless. As of 5 May 2014, the 1961 Statelessness Convention had been endorsed by 55 states.120 The 1954 Stateless Persons Convention did not establish an international body to protect stateless persons or to monitor compliance with its terms. The issue was never discussed during the drafting process in 1954.121 The 1961 Statelessness Convention states that: The Contracting States shall promote the establishment within the framework of the United Nations […] of a body to which a person claiming the benefit of this Convention may apply for the examination of his claim and for assistance in presenting it to the appropriate authority (Article 11).122 UNHCR is charged with this responsibility under Article 11.123 Until the early 1990s, UNHCR did little in terms of its mandate under the 1954 Stateless Persons Convention, but it has since carried out a global campaign to promote state accession to the international refugee instruments, as well as the two conventions on statelessness.124 Since 2001, there has been a global expansion of UNCHR’s activities in respect of stateless persons covering Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 119 20 UNHCR, “The 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons: Implementation within the European Union Member States and Recommendations for Harmonisation,” October 2003, para. 51, http://www.refworld.org/docid/415c3cfb4.html. See also UNHCR, “State Action on Statelessness,” n.d., http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4ff2bdff6.html#Maps. 120 UNHCR, “State Action on Statelessness.” See also UNTC, “Status of Treaties: Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness,” accessed July 15, 2014, https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails. aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=V-4&chapter=5&lang=en. 121 Carol A. Batchelor, “Stateless Persons: Some Gaps in International Protection,” International Journal of Refugee Law 7, no. 2 (1995): 245–247. 122 Ibid., 252, for the history of Article 11. 123 UN General Assembly, “Resolution 3274(XXIX) - Question of the Establishment, in Accordance with the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, of a Body to Which Persons Claiming the Benefit of the Convention May Apply,” December 10, 1974, UN Doc. A/RES/3274(XXIX), http://www. unhcr.org/3dc8dca44.html. In November 1976, the General Assembly reviewed the provisionally allocated duties, and UNHCR was requested to continue to perform these functions without time limit (UN General Assembly, “Resolution 31/26 - Question of the Establishment, in Accordance with the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, of a Body to Which Persons Claiming the Benefit of the Convention May Apply,” November 30, 1976, 36, UN Doc. A/RES/31/26, http://www.un.org/ en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/31/36&Lang=E&Area=RESOLUTION.). 124 Magnus Engstrom and Naoko Obi, “Evaluation of UNHCR’s Role and Activities in Relation to Statelessness,” UNHCR, July 2001, http://www.unhcr.org/3b67d0fa7.html. See also UNHCR, “Global Appeal 2014-2015 - Addressing Statelessness,” December 2013, http://www.unhcr. org/528a0a1316.html; and UNHCR, “Global Report 2012 - Addressing Statelessness,” June 2013, http://www.unhcr.org/51b1d61db.html. Handbook on Protection of Palestinian Refugees