2. THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND SOLUTIONS TO STATELESSNESS
of universal legal identity by 2030.4 The Inter-Agency and Expert
Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) has
also developed a global indicator framework, consisting of 230 global
indicators,5 to assist in measuring the implementation of Targets. The
2030 Agenda strives for a world that is just, rights-based, equitable
and inclusive. It is to be implemented in a manner consistent with the
existing obligations of States under international law. The overarching
objective of the SDGs is to ensure that “no one is left behind” and that
“goals and targets [are] met for all nations and peoples and for all
segments of society”,6 with dedicated Goals and relevant Targets on
combating inequality and discrimination. The SDGs officially came into
effect upon expiry of the Millennium Development Goals on 1 January
2016 and will run through to 2030 and apply to every country.
This chapter explores the extent to which the SDGs provide a useful
avenue for resolving statelessness. Part 2 examines the problem
of statelessness as a development issue. Part 3 analyses which of
the SDGs are of relevance to addressing the issue of statelessness
and links these to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’
(UNHCR) statelessness mandate and the #IBelong Campaign to End
Statelessness in 10 Years. Part 4 examines how the relevant SDGs might
be practically implemented and what limitations can be foreseen in
this respect. In light of the foregoing analysis, the conclusion evaluates
the extent to which the SDGs can be useful in the quest to find durable
solutions to statelessness.
2. Statelessness as a development issue
Statelessness has traditionally been viewed as a humanitarian
and human rights issue, but rarely as one of development. Its
humanitarian complexion is linked historically to its close association
with refugee crises, notably the large-scale displacement and mass
denationalisation of German Jews during the Second World War, and
because the UN agency mandated to address the problem - UNHCR
- is a high-profile humanitarian emergency response actor. UNHCR
4
5
6
UN General Assembly (UNGA), Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, 21 October 2015.
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development Goals,
SDG Indicators – Global Database, http://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/
database.
See, UNGA, supra n4, para. 4.
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