216 Nash own legal identity, the Network is hosted and coordinated by the UK NGO Asylum Aid, which, in conjunction with the ENS Steering Committee,14 is responsible for developing the Network and implementing its strategic plans.15 3 Building Effective Civil Society Networks – Lessons Learned Through Developing ENS Networking is widely viewed as an effective way for NGOs to improve performance and to enhance impact. Since many NGOs are small and dispersed, networking is commonly seen as a cost-effective means to share information and spread knowledge about a target population’s needs as well as corresponding solutions and best practices. Moreover, networking is believed to strengthen NGO’s ability to speak with one voice and, through a ‘multiplier effect’, to significantly increase their impact as policy negotiators and as agents advocating for change.16 Many of these benefits are already apparent during the development of ENS. Arguably a key success achieved by ENS has been its ability to find ‘entry points’ to recruit and engage new members with its activities, and to find ways for its mandate to resonate with the existing interests and priorities of its membership base. One important entry point for many ENS members has been the statelessness and refugee/asylum nexus, including undocumented refused asylum seekers who are unable to be returned by the host state.17 14 15 16 17 The ENS Steering Committee comprises representatives from the Network’s six found­ ing organisations: Asylum Aid <http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/>; The Equal Rights Trust <http://www.equalrightstrust.org/>; The Open Society Justice Initiative <http://www .opensocietyfoundations.org/about/programs/open-society-justice-initiative>; Praxis Ser­ bia <http://www.praxis.org.rs/index.php/en/>; and the Tilburg Statelessness Programme <http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/research/institutes-and-research-groups/stateless ness/> all accessed 19 August 2013. For an overview of ENS activities since its launch see The European Network on Statelessness Annual Report 2012/13 <http://www.statelessness.eu/resources/ens-annual -report-201213> accessed 23 August 2013. For example see ENS Campaign to Protect Stateless Persons in Europe <http://www.state lessness.eu/node/417> accessed 14 October 2013. While there is currently insufficient data enabling an accurate assessment of what percentage of this large and growing population are in fact legally stateless, the numbers are likely to be significant and affected individuals currently face a protection gap which often leaves them as victims of arbitrary detention and other human rights abuses. While by no means a solution for all refused asylum seekers, the absence of dedicated statelessness determination procedures leaves many trapped in a cycle of detention and destitution. The existence of this protection gap also inhibits the ability of states to find tilburg law review 19 (2014) 212-222