Also in line with Action 6, on 8 March, the
Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo
adopted “Ministerial Decree 1061”, establishing
an inter-institutional committee to coordinate and
oversee the eradication of statelessness in the
country. In particular, the committee will oversee
the country’s accession to the statelessness
conventions, ensure that its legislation conforms
to international standards set by the conventions,
develop a National Action Plan on eradicating
statelessness, and establish a body responsible
for implementing statelessness determination in
accordance with established procedures.
In line with Action 8 (Issue nationality
documentation to those with entitlement to
it) and Action 10 (Improve quantitative and
qualitative data on stateless populations), UNHCR
partner Mercy Hands completed a qualitative and
quantitative survey to identify the size of stateless
persons and those at risk of statelessness in Diyala
and Barsa governorates in Iraq. Mercy Hands
continued provision of legal assistance to cases
identified that meet the statelessness criteria.
With respect to Action 9 (Accede to the UN
Statelessness Conventions), on 14 March, the
Council of Ministers of Angola approved the
country’s accession to both the 1954 Convention
relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the
1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
The bill will now go to the Parliament, prior to
endorsement by the President.
Further progress on protection occurred in Moldova,
where the Constitutional Court, in a decision of 18
January, established the right for stateless parents
of four or more children to benefit from State health
insurance free of charge. Moreover, on 10 February,
a new “Law on the promotion of employment
and unemployment insurance” entered into force
providing subsidies to employers who offer jobs to
stateless persons at risk of social exclusion.
In line with Action 10, UNHCR and the National
Institute of Statistics of Côte d’Ivoire held a
workshop from 12 to 14 February to validate the
findings of the nation-wide statelessness mapping
exercise conducted in 2018. The report will be
launched later in the year.
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