Concluding Statement of the Fifth High-Level Steering Meeting On the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic We, the participants, Understanding the importance of addressing statelessness problem for ensuring human rights and security, Reaffirming our commitment to reduce cases of statelessness and take measures to prevent statelessness in accordance with the pledges of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Commending the results so far achieved in preventing and reducing statelessness, in particular by documenting and/or naturalizing thousands of undocumented persons, stateless or at risk of statelessness, thereby providing them with full access to rights, Welcoming the support received by UNHCR and other international organizations at the local, national, regional and international levels, Recognizing the importance of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, Considering that the Action Plan on the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic was adopted in 2009 and revised at the second, third, and fourth High-Level Steering Meetings on statelessness in 2011, 2012, and 2013, Have reviewed and adopted the following updated National Action Plan: 1. To determine citizenship of former USSR citizens who permanently reside in the Kyrgyz Republic and who retain or have lost their USSR passports (State Registration Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic). 2. To continue accepting applications for Kyrgyz citizenship from stateless persons residing in the Kyrgyz Republic, and to consider the naturalization of these persons (State Registration Service under the Government of the KR; Citizenship Commission under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic). 3. To continue data collection on undocumented and stateless persons in the Kyrgyz Republic, inter alia, by virtue of inclusion of these persons to the Unified state register of population, to develop actions aimed at determining durable solutions to these persons’ legal status, and to enhance the role of local self-government units in identification of stateless persons (State Registration Service under the Government of the KR; State Agency on Local Self-Governments and Inter-Ethnic Relations under the Government of the KR, Ministry of social development of the KR, Ministry of foreign affairs of the KR). 4. To continue informing stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness about their rights, duties, relevant legislation and procedures (State Registration Service under the Government of the KR; State Agency on Local SelfGovernments and Inter-Ethnic Relations under the Government of the KR). 5. To establish an Inter-agency working group on elaboration of alterations and amendments to the Law “On Citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic” and other laws and by-laws regulating citizenship and