Engagement with human rights mechanisms to advocate
for reform
The issue of gender discrimination in nationality laws has also received significant attention
in recent years as part of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which
involves a regular review of the human rights record of all 193 UN Member States. From
2008 to 2020, at least 250 Recommendations were made concerning the removal of gender
discriminatory provisions in nationality laws. Of the States that received and ‘accepted’ these
Recommendations, Monaco, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Suriname, Madagascar, Liberia, Benin and
Sierra Leone have since removed gender discriminatory provisions from their nationality laws.
Iran has accepted some and noted other recommendations and has since partially reformed its
nationality law. The United Arab Emirates also partially reformed its nationality law after having
‘noted’ relevant recommendations.
Almost 200 of the total number of Recommendations on this issue were directed at the
24 countries that still discriminate in conferral of nationality to children. Nearly a fifth of those
have been accepted. The countries that have accepted recommendations are: the Bahamas,
Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Iran, Kiribati, Libya, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Syria,
and Togo.
The #IBelong Campaign to
End Statelessness
UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness in 10 years, launched in November 2014,
envisages the achievement of gender equality in all nationality laws by the year 2024 as part
of the Campaign’s broader goals. A practical strategy through which this can be achieved is
set out in Action 3 of the Global Action Plan. The objective of achieving gender equality in
nationality laws is also supported by Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.10 UNHCR
continues its work with a range of governments and civil society groups to promote reform to
nationality laws and assist in their implementation.
10
UNHCR, The Sustainable Development Goals and Addressing Statelessness, March 2017, available at: https://www.
refworld.org/docid/58b6e3364.html
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