Regional Workshop on Statelessness and the Rights of Women and Children Identification: Mapping statelessness The identification of statelessness serves as a foundation for constructing an effective response to prevent and reduce statelessness and to address any gaps in the protection of stateless persons. Through the identification of stateless populations, States and other stakeholders obtain specific information on the size, location, profile of the population and the cause of their statelessness. Such detailed information enables States to take critical steps in providing protection for stateless people and undertaking effective actions to resolve their lack of nationality. During the Workshop, the lack of comprehensive national statistics on stateless persons was noted, and ASEAN Member States were encouraged to strengthen measures to collect data on stateless people. Improved data collection relating to statelessness in national census and surveys will greatly help to identify the demographic profile of stateless populations in Member States. In identifying stateless populations it is crucial to adopt and apply an appropriate definition of who is a stateless person. The Participants from Lao PDR (pictured first and second from left) definition of a and Malaysia (pictured third and forth from left). © UNHCR/B. stateless Abante person found in Article 1 the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons is considered to be part of customary international law. Lao PDR and Viet Nam are amongst the ASEAN Member States that have taken the first steps to reflect this definition in nationality law. Detailed legal analysis comparing the nationality laws of different States and identifying gaps and conflicts that cause statelessness was seen as a way to identify the profile of stateless populations and those at risk of statelessness. An example of a gap in nationality law is where the nationality of one State is automatically lost after long-term residence abroad, and the individual losing his or her nationality does not possess or has not acquired a new nationality. Participants agreed that a comparative mapping study would be worthwhile and encouraged initiatives to be undertaken on research to identify gaps or 10