Acquisition of nationality through naturalization Migration Service of Turkmenistan (SMST), the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Security and UNHCR. Additional stakeholders brought into the project included UNHCR’s national NGO partner, Keik Okara, which operated legal clinics and assisted individuals through the registration process; local authorities and village administrators, who assisted in sensitizing the targeted populations and facilitated the work of the registration teams; and the embassies of CIS countries, which confirmed whether persons identified through the registration process were nationals of their States. Coordination was achieved through the creation of a Task Force consisting of a UNHCR national protection staff member, the Head of the Citizenship Unit of the SMST and the Deputy Director of Keik Okara, as well as an Advisory Board made up of UNHCR Country Representative, the Head of the Consular Section of the MFA, deputy ministers of the SMST and the Director of Keik Okara. The campaign unfolded in three distinct phases, as outlined below: PHASE 1: PRE-REGISTRATION: TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING The objectives of the pre-registration phase included recruitment and training of staff to undertake the registration campaign and raise awareness of the issues among local authorities. This phase also involved briefing representatives of CIS countries to prepare them to respond to queries on the nationality of registered individuals with ties to their countries. UNHCR and the Turkmen Government organized training for the SMST officials, NGO representatives and legal-clinic lawyers who would undertake the campaign. These individuals were instructed on interview techniques and the questions to be asked when filling out the electronic registration and application forms. Acting on lessons learned during prior registration exercises, staff for the teams were recruited from local populations so that they possessed the language skills to communicate with the affected individuals. An information campaign was also launched in this initial phase. Leaflets and posters were produced in both the Turkmen and Russian languages. SMST, UNHCR and Keik Okara staff travelled throughout the country to hold discussions with local authorities and raise their awareness of the campaign. The local authorities were also requested to help distribute information materials and disseminate information on the dates when registration would take place. 52 U N H C R > G P P A C T I O N 1 : R E S O LV I N G E X I S T I N G M A J O R S I T U AT I O N S O F S TAT E L E S S N E S S