EC/64/SC/CRP.11 I. Introduction 1. This Note covers the period since the last update in June 2011. It reviews progress made in relation to the prevention and reduction of statelessness, as well as the identification and protection of stateless persons. It provides an overview of the activities undertaken in the context of the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2011, together with their impact, and reviews the status of the pledges made at the December 2011 Ministerial Intergovernmental Event 1. The Note also discusses a number of areas where the international response to statelessness has been weak. It sets out how these areas can be addressed and, in this context, indicates the relevance of the activities planned for the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons in 2014. Unless otherwise specified, all documents cited in this Note may be accessed from http://www.refworld.org/statelessness.html. II. Background 2. The Office continued to enhance its operational response to statelessness situations, addressing areas highlighted by a number of Executive Committee Conclusions on International Protection related to statelessness, including No. 106 (LVII) on the Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons2 adopted in 2006. 3. UNHCR’s four pillar budget structure (which is broken down by particular population groups including pillar II for stateless persons), global strategic priorities and results-based framework for planning and reporting have permitted field offices to establish specific objectives and set budgets for activities relating to statelessness which are visible and distinct from those for refugees and other persons of concern. This has ensured that responses to the statelessness problem are given due attention in relevant operations. 4. Progress made in this regard may be measured by the number of UNHCR operations which set objectives relating to statelessness: from 28 operations in 2009, the number rose to 51 in 2010 and 60 in 2011, remaining at this level in 2012. A similar rise occurred in budgets and expenditure. In 2009, the last year before UNHCR introduced the four pillar budget structure, global expenditure on statelessness activities was approximately US$ 12 million. Upon introduction of the new budget structure in 2010, the statelessness budget approved by the Executive Committee was US$ 38.5 million. This subsequently increased to US$ 62.8 million in 2011, US$ 56 million in 2012 and US$ 79.2 million in 2013. Actual expenditure under pillar II rose from US$ 29.1 million in 2010 to US$ 33.5 million in 2011, and subsequently remained at approximately that level in 2012 at US$ 34.7 million. 5. UNHCR has strengthened its global response to statelessness, both in terms of reach and also the quality of its interventions, through increased staffing capacity. The High Commissioner’s protection capacity initiative of 2011-2012 led to the creation of five dedicated regional statelessness posts covering Asia and the Pacific, Europe, West Africa, the Americas and the Middle East and North Africa. These posts were filled in 2012 and 2013, and they have significantly bolstered the capacity of field offices in these regions. 1 2 This refers to the Intergovernmental event at the ministerial level of Member States of the United Nations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland in December 2011 (see www.unhcr.org/ministerial). Available from http://unhcr.org/conclusions. 3