Kenya. Stateless Shona get Kenya birth certificates. © UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin The road ahead: Improving sta�s�cs on statelessness Current ini�a�ves to improve data on statelessness As presented previously, there are many technical, administra�ve and poli�cal challenges that may arise during the process of collec�on of official sta�s�cs on statelessness. However, despite the challenges, it is important to remember the Fundamental Principles of Official Sta�s�cs, which emphasize the role of sta�s�cal systems to public and useful informa�on. Improved data can serve as a key catalyst in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the Global Ac�on Plan to End Statelessness. It may serve as a source of informa�on to monitor progress and ensure that authori�es are accountable towards their commitments. In recogni�on of these challenges, two complementary ini�a�ves, funded by the World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center (JDC), are being pursued to improve data on statelessness: the Inter-agency Group on Statelessness Es�mates (IGSE) and the group of experts on statelessness sta�s�cs. The work of the la�er has now been folded under the auspices of EGRISS. The IGSE, established in January 2019, brings together around thirty experts from academia, civil society and interna�onal and regional organiza�ons and is co-led by UNHCR and UNFPA. The aim for the IGSE is to become a pla�orm for technical collabora�on and knowledge sharing on statelessness es�ma�on. The urgent need to improve the global, regional and na�onal es�mates of stateless persons runs in parallel to the development of the Interna�onal Recommenda�ons on Statelessness Sta�s�cs (IROSS) which will lead to improved official sta�s�cs on statelessness in the medium- and long-term. 9