retain their nationality and to confer their nationality to children and spouses3 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which obligates states to ensure each child’s right to a nationality (Article 24). Syria has not acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, nor has it pledged to do so. 7. Syria has previously received limited recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concerning statelessness and nationality challenges, some of which are detailed in this submission. In 2011, there were various recommendations related to Syria’s general obligations including under the CRC and CEDAW, which are relevant. An accepted recommendation by the Maldives recommended that Syria “Bring national laws fully into line with its obligations under ICCPR, CEDAW, CAT and CRC.” Unfortunately there were no recommendations specifically related to gender discrimination in Syria’s nationality law or resultant statelessness, other than a more general recommendation by Mexico to “Immediately adopt and implement necessary legislative and administrative measures to promote a greater inclusion of women in the country's public and political life, ensuring that they effectively participate in the decision-making process, and lift the reservations made to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.” 4 During the 2nd cycle in 2016 there were two recommendations, by the Czech Republic and Namibia, related to removing gender discrimination from Syria’s nationality law. However there were no recommendations on improving civil registration or the protection of stateless persons.5 8. The legal bond of a nationality brings with it access to many rights in Syria. There are no specific procedures, laws or protection mechanisms in Syria tailored to the protection of the rights of stateless individuals. Most predominantly, stateless individuals, due to their lack of documentation, face many obstacles in accessing State education in Syria.6 For those who were able to access education, there were certain restrictions as to what they could do (for example join the shabibeh – a nation-wide student group). More widely, the enjoyment of basic rights such as travel, property rights, and the right to obtain other documents are all hindered because of statelessness, clearly violating many of the States obligations under the CRC and other human rights treaties. 3 Although Syria has a reservation to Article 9, in its recent General Comment No. 32 on the gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women, the Committee confirmed that Article 9 extends an obligation to ensure equality between men and women in the ability to confer their nationality to their spouse. Article 9(2) obligates states to “grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children.” Furthermore, Article 9(1) obligates that states “grant women equal rights with men to acquire, change or retain their nationality.” 4 For all quotes see A/HRC/19/11, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, 2012, access at https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/syrian_arab_republic/session_12__october_2011/a.hrc.19.11syriae.pdf 5 Please see a/HRC/WG.6/26/L.2, 2016, access at https://www.uprinfo.org/sites/default/files/document/syrian_arab_republic/session_26_-_november_2016/a_hrc_wg.6_26_l.2_syria.pdf 6 A. Al-Rabeo Unjust Nationality Law Deprives Syrian Women's Children of Basic Rights, The WIP, 2010, available at: http://thewip.net/contributors/2010/12/unjust_nationality_law_deprive.html.