EC/66/SC/CRP.11
analysis of compatibility between national legislation and the conventions, training to
government officials and facilitation of experience-sharing between countries that were
already Parties and those considering accession.
25.
These efforts yielded considerable results. During the reporting period there were 21
accessions by 16 States, bringing the total number of accessions since 2011 to 47
accessions by 31 countries. At the end of May 2015, there were 86 States Parties to the
1954 Convention and 63 States Parties to the 1961 Convention. States had implemented
54% of pledges on accession made at UNHCR’s 2011 Ministerial Meeting.
(f)
Improving quantitative and qualitative data on stateless populations
26.
With the launch of the Campaign, improving baseline population data has become
increasingly important. Yet, measuring statelessness remains complicated and progress in
this area limited.
27.
The Office continued to advocate for inclusion of questions related to nationality,
including statelessness, in national censuses and supported or directly undertook studies,
surveys or registration exercises in 63 States, up slightly from 61 during the previous
period. Statistical information was available for 78 States at the end of 2014, six more than
at the end of 2012. UNHCR reported 3.5 million stateless persons in its statistics for the end
of 2014, slightly higher than at the end of 2012 (3.34 million). However, the estimated total
of statelessness persons globally remains at least 10 million.
(g)
Developing international legal standards and doctrinal guidance
28.
The Office held an expert meeting on Avoiding Statelessness resulting from Loss
and Deprivation of Nationality in Tunis in late 2013. Guidelines on this issue are to be
issued in late 2015. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights began the
process of drafting a Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the
Right to a Nationality. It is hoped that the text will be adopted by the Commission and then
submitted to the African Union Commission with a recommendation that it be adopted by
Member States of the AU.
(h)
Bolstering partnerships
29.
Regional organizations remain important partners for UNHCR and cooperation with
them has led to encouraging results in the past two years. In the Asia Pacific region,
UNHCR co-hosted a ministerial conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in
Bangkok in November 2014, at which a Ministerial Declaration was adopted by 44 States
in which they set the goal of universal civil registration by 2024 and recognize the role of
birth registration in the prevention of statelessness.
30.
In October 2014, UNHCR, in partnership with the Emirate of Sharjah, convened the
first regional conference on the protection of refugee children in the Middle East and North
Africa. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Sharjah Principles which call for
all refugee children in the region to have their births registered to help prevent statelessness.
In Central Asia, an International Conference on Statelessness and Migration organized by
UNHCR, IOM and the Turkmen Government in June 2014 brought together 25 States and
called on governments and international organizations to resolve statelessness.
7