Impact of having a full identity in family relations on mental health 10. A child’s family including their connected identity in family relations contributes to their well-being, upbringing and development.12 Having full information about one’s family relations (genetic, gestational, social and legal) and origins can have positive effects on a child’s development. UNHCR notes that “the feeling of being wanted and valued is the basis for a healthy emotional life. Such feelings are rooted in family relations and broaden as a person matures into increasingly larger circles that encompass relatives, peers, the community and society. The need to feel valued grows into a need to belong to social groups and have a place in society.” 13 When alternative care becomes necessary, extended family, kinship, and community-based care can contribute positively to children’s mental health, noting the harm caused by institutionalisation. 11. While many children in street situations benefit from family tracing and reunification contributing to their mental health, we also recognise that this this is not always in their best interests, for example, where there is a risk of violence, abuse, or neglect. 12. The mental health impact of not having full information about one’s family relations and origins can be clearly seen in adoptees’ lives. This can be compounded by the systemic illicit nature of adoptions and was the subject of a joint statement by relevant UN treaty bodies and special procedures.14 Emerging research shows that adoptees often face trauma that has led to their adoption which may contribute to mental health challenges,15 with disproportionately higher rates of suicide among adoptees, although further research is needed in this area.16 13. For children born through third party reproduction, missing information equally affects mental health. The Association Origines contends that “knowledge of one’s origins contributes to personal continuity, emotional stability, and the capacity to situate oneself within a family and a lineage. Conversely, the impossibility of accessing this information creates a persistent psychological void. Mental health professionals have long observed that such deprivation may generate anxiety, identity confusion, depressive symptoms, and difficulties in self-projection.”17 Impact of having a full identity and access to education 14. The impact of not having a legal identity and/or nationality can have massive ramifications on accessing other rights such as education. Indeed, many of these were outlined in IDRWG’s submission for the first session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning the right to education in May 2025, including testimonies of mental health issues that children face when excluded in this way.18 Recommendation 15. States should promote and protect the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of every child by ensuring all elements of their full identity are protected. This includes legal identity (name and birth registration), nationality, and family relations; and where these elements may be unfulfilled or partially realised, that States are held to account, and made to speedily re-establish them in accordance with principles of the best interests of the child, and in line with their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 12 Art. 18(1) CRC UNHCR (2021) UNHCR Best Interests Procedure Guidelines https://www.refworld.org/policy/opguidance/unhcr/2021/en/122648 14 https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/ced/2022-09-29/JointstatementICA_HR_28September2022.pdf 15 See list of research on trauma in adoptions on Intercountry Adoptee Voices website https://intercountryadopteevoices.com/postadoption-support/trauma/ 16 See available statistics in Gustafsson, R. and Fronek, P. (2021) Intercountry Adoption And Suicide In Australia: A Scoping Review https://www.dss.gov.au/system/files/resources/intercountry-adoption-and-suicide-australia-scoping-review.pdf and 17 Kermalvezen, A. (2026) Lifelong Mental Health Impact of Being Deprived of a Complete Identity https://associationorigines.com/ 18 https://www.child-identity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IDRWG.OHCHR-Submission.Final_.pdf 13 3