THE PROBLEM OF STATELESSNESS IN UKRAINE AND THE WAYS OF ADDRESSING IT I. Introduction In 2014, UNHCR marked the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Convention relating to the status of stateless persons. The Convention came about as a result of the Second World War and its aftermath, which left so many persons displaced and without identity papers, and which also transformed the map of the European continent. Borders shifted and entire populations were on the move. In this massive upheaval, it was inevitable that some persons were left without a country, without a home, and even without a piece of paper to prove their identity. The Convention was adopted with their plight in mind, and together with the 1961 Convention on the reduction of statelessness, states committed themselves to preventing statelessness and to mitigating its impact by ensuring that stateless persons could enjoy their basic rights. The dissolution of the Soviet Union could have left large populations stateless, but fortunately Ukraine—as many of the other newly independent states—adopted citizenship laws in the spirit of international law, including the Statelessness Conventions. . Most persons living in Ukraine were able to seamlessly acquire the citizenship of Ukraine, and a major crisis of statelessness could be averted. However, it was not until 2013 that Ukraine acceded to the two Statelessness Conventions. This step has given an occasion for reflection on statelessness in Ukraine, and was the impetus for the report that lies before you. As you will see from this report, though the overall legal framework for preventing statelessness and protecting stateless persons is favorable, some groups remain stateless or at risk of statelessness in Ukraine, particularly persons affected in various ways by state succession in the region and persons who lack identity documentation or are unable to obtain birth certification for their children, such as Roma, homeless persons, and some groups of migrants. The case studies included here show how this situation impacts their daily lives: adults may face detention, or be unable to obtain legal employment; children are not issued with school certificates etc. Though most of them have lived in Ukraine for their entire lives, they remain on the margins of society. The report guides us towards a proper response to the problem of statelessness in Ukraine. This would require amendment to laws and other legislative acts, so that the procedures for documenting these individuals and for the confirmation or acquisition of nationality can be made clearer, more accessible, and more efficient. There will need to be outreach to stateless persons, persons who may be stateless and the persons at risk of statelessness, encouraging them to come forward. We need to continually remember that the small technicalities often 4