SUB-REGIONAL OVERVIEW: THE PACIFIC SUB-REGIONAL OVERVIEW: THE PACIFIC TABLE 37 Administrative barriers Ratification of International laws relating to statelessness by the countries the Pacific Country Federated States of Micronesia ✅ ⛔ Stateless 1 Stateless 2 Refugee ICCPR ICESCR ICERD CRC CEDAW ⛔ ⛔ ⛔ ⛔ ⛔ ⛔ ✅ ✅ Signifies that the country is a party to the convention Signifies that the country is not a party to the convention Treaty ratification status Micronesia has only ratified the CRC and CEDAW with no relevant reservations. In its 2020 concluding observations, the CRC Committee recommended that Micronesia improve its data collection system for birth registration with a special focus on increasing access in the outer islands.1598 As a party to the CRC, Micronesia is responsible for ensuring that every birth is registered immediately as well as to ensure that no child is left stateless.1599 Population Reported stateless persons Micronesia has not reported to UNHCR or the UN Statistics Department on figures of statelessness. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed concern regarding access to birth registration for children on remote islands.1600 Micronesia should work towards establishing an identification system for identifying potential stateless persons in its territory. 140 Stateless 1 - 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons Stateless 2 - 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness living in the US under the compact of free association originally received access to health care and education, recent reports have shown that entitlement to these services is no longer universal for citizens of the Marshall Islands.1602 It is unclear if Micronesian citizens are facing the same barriers. Causes of Statelessness As of 2015, Micronesia’s birth registration rate was reported by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as 70%.1604 Birth registration in Micronesia is required for school enrollment and to obtain a passport.1605 Challenges with birth registration include differing civil registration procedures for each state and the lack of a streamlined national registration system.1606 There is a need to centralize civil registration data.1607 Limited transportation and communication pose significant challenges for recording and registering births, especially in remote areas.1608 Despite a common legal approach to birth registration across the four states of Micronesia, procedural variations exist due to differences in topography and administrative procedures.1609 For example, the island of Kosrae has a direct link between the Department of Health and Social Affairs and the court, allowing for efficient weekly manual record sharing.1610 States with more outer islands, such as Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Yap, face more significant challenges.1611 Statelessness and climate change While it remains a hypothetical debate, there are a number of articles and reports written on the risk of statelessness faced by citizens of low-lying Pacific states including Micronesia due to the impact of climate-induced sea-level rise.1612 Birth registration in Micronesia is required for school enrollment and to obtain a passport. Challenges with birth registration include differing civil registration procedures for each state and the lack of a streamlined national registration system. Lack of legal safeguards against childhood statelessness The citizenship law of Micronesia provides no explicit protection for foundlings or children born within the territory to stateless and/or foreign parents to access citizenship. Citizenship stripping Other populations of note Naturalized citizenship can be cancelled if a person travels to a foreign country (not including the U.S. or Puerto Rico) for the purpose of establishing permanent residence.1603 This could leave some stateless if they do not have the nationality of another country when their naturalized citizenship is cancelled. Citizens of Micronesia possess a Compact of Free Association with the United States that allows for visa-free travel and settlement within the US. Persons within the US are considered non-immigrant non-citizens.1601 While persons Citizens of Micronesia possess a Compact of Free Association with the United States that allows for visa-free travel and settlement within the US. Persons within the US are considered non-immigrant noncitizens. STATELESSNESS ENCYCLOPEDIA ASIA PACIFIC (DETAILED VERSION) REPORT 2024 141