3 ETS 166 – European Convention on Nationality, 6.XI.1997 c “child” means every person below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier; d “internal law” means all types of provisions of the national legal system, including the constitution, legislation, regulations, decrees, case-law, customary rules and practice as well as rules deriving from binding international instruments. Chapter II – General principles relating to nationality Article 3 – Competence of the State 1 Each State shall determine under its own law who are its nationals. 2 This law shall be accepted by other States in so far as it is consistent with applicable international conventions, customary international law and the principles of law generally recognised with regard to nationality. Article 4 – Principles The rules on nationality of each State Party shall be based on the following principles: a everyone has the right to a nationality; b statelessness shall be avoided; c no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her nationality; d neither marriage nor the dissolution of a marriage between a national of a State Party and an alien, nor the change of nationality by one of the spouses during marriage, shall automatically affect the nationality of the other spouse. Article 5 – Non-discrimination 1 The rules of a State Party on nationality shall not contain distinctions or include any practice which amount to discrimination on the grounds of sex, religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin. 2 Each State Party shall be guided by the principle of non-discrimination between its nationals, whether they are nationals by birth or have acquired its nationality subsequently. Chapter III – Rules relating to nationality Article 6 – Acquisition of nationality 1 Each State Party shall provide in its internal law for its nationality to be acquired ex lege by the following persons: