DESK REVIEW ON POPULATIONS AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS Similarly, other UN agencies can be engaged where appropriate, such as UNICEF where children of Philippine descent are affected, or IOM, in relation to at-risk populations in migratory settings.21 c. Facilitate periodic opportunities for sharing of information and experiences among Social Welfare Attachés to compare practices, and to share strategies and lessons learned. In an initial stakeholder interview, Social Welfare Attachés appeared to benefit from the sharing of information and experiences with each other, as much as it was helpful in this research. The discussion revealed that PSA Memorandum Circular (MC) 2017-12 is being utilized to a very positive impact and should continue to be utilized, but also revealed different practices on PSA-MC 2017-12 between offices, and strategies at one office that may be replicated in another. This kind of engagement can encourage the development or enhancement of national policy, regional learning and understanding, sharing of good practices, and joint strategizing to address challenges in each location. A particular focus on children of Philippine descent (documented and undocumented), PSA MC 2017-12 and the issuance of report of birth (ROB), and monitoring particularly challenging or sensitive cases would be beneficial. It may also be beneficial to facilitate consultations among other stakeholders actively involved in practice to inform the development of policy (i.e. Department of Social Welfare and Development, PSA, non-government organizations [NGOs], migrants themselves, etc.). d. Add Persons of Japanese Descent (PJD) to the list of identified populations at risk of statelessness. The Philippine Government, with support from UNHCR Philippines, conducted a series of inter-agency roundtable discussions from 2010-2011 and identified five populations at risk of statelessness (Sama Bajau, persons of Indonesian descent, unregistered children in the context of forcible displacement due to armed conflict,22 foundlings, and children of Philippine descent in migratory settings). At the time, PJD were not included, perhaps due to a misconception that they may have been able to exercise a right to elect Philippine citizenship. However, based on findings in this report, including 108 cases currently pending before the Refugee and Paragraph 72 of the New York Declaration affirms that, “statelessness can be a root cause of forced displacement and that forced displacement, in turn, can lead to statelessness.” Objective 4, Paragraph 20 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration commits to, “(e) Strengthen measures to reduce statelessness, including by registering migrants’ births, ensuring that women and men can equally confer their nationality to their children, and providing nationality to children born in another State’s territory, especially in situations where a child would otherwise be stateless, fully respecting the human right to a nationality and in accordance with national legislation; and (f) Review and revise requirements to prove nationality at service delivery centres to ensure that migrants without proof of nationality or legal identity are not precluded from accessing basic services nor denied their human rights.” 21 22 10 Please refer to footnote no. 7 for more information. UNHCR / April 2021