REGIONAL STRATEGIES
Africa
Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS): support the implementation
of commitments by 15 ECOWAS countries under the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate
statelessness by 2024. The support includes financial and technical expertise to develop and
implement national action plans to end statelessness, and technical advice and capacity
building with regard to nationality law reforms with the aim of bringing them into compliance with
international standards on prevention and protection of stateless people.
Total requirements for 2017 and 2018: $500,000
East Africa Community (EAC): mainstream statelessness in the work of the East Africa
Community and work towards a regional commitment/framework to end statelessness. This
includes support for finalization of a study on nationality and statelessness in East Africa and
the organization of a high level regional conference.
Total requirements for 2017 and 2018: $300,000
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC): mainstream statelessness in SADC’s
work and work towards a regional commitment to end statelessness. This will include continued
advocacy within the existing frameworks (e.g. SADC Migration Dialogue) and reaching out to
new institutions (e.g. SADC Parliamentary Forum and Pan-African Parliament), and intensifying
advocacy and capacity building of national Parliaments.
Total requirements for 2017 and 2018: $300,000
African Union (AU): advocate for and support the adoption of the African Union Protocol on
the Right to Nationality in Africa. This includes supporting the African Union Commission on
Human and People’s Rights in its efforts, as well as capacity building and provision of technical
advice to the African Union Member States.
Total requirements for 2017 and 2018: $300,000
Asia
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): In October 2016, the ASEAN
Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and children has adopted
a project on the right to a nationality for women and children and ASEAN Community building
in the Commission’s 2016-2020 work plan. It will include a study on relevant practices of ASEAN
Member States, establish an information repository on good practices and an information
exchange mechanism, and build national and regional capacity.
Asia Pacific Initiative on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics: “Get Everyone in the
Picture”: UNHCR’s Regional Office in Bangkok represents UNHCR on the Regional Steering
Group which is tasked with supporting the 44 States that participated in the Ministerial
Declaration that endorsed the goal of universal and responsive Civil Registration and Vital
Statistics systems by 2024. UNHCR particularly promotes the assessment of inequalities in
accessing civil registration for its population of concern and birth registration to prevent
statelessness. Key partners in these initiatives are the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Regional Support Office
of the Bali Process.
Total requirements for 2017 and 2018: $500,000
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