30. Co-operation between states is key in this respect. For that reason, Principle 6 of the Recommendation CM/Rec (2009)13 underlines the importance of co-operation. This is also recognised in Article 23 ECN concerning information on relevant legislation and developments. Co-operation should also be used for case specific issues, in particular on the possible acquisition or non-acquisition of nationality. Lack of information can lead to situations of statelessness for the child concerned.39 31. Co-operation is essential if a stateless child can acquire the nationality of the state of a parent. Principle 3 of Recommendation CM/Rec (2009)13 calls on the state of birth or residence of a stateless child to provide them “with any necessary assistance to exercise that right”. 32. However, Principle 4 of Recommendation CM/Rec (2009)13 deals with the possibility that the parent of a child may have very good reasons not to use the right to acquire a certain foreign nationality. If (the parents of ) a child cannot “reasonably be expected to acquire that nationality”, rules for the avoidance of statelessness of the country of birth should apply, for instance, if the parents left the state of their nationality to become refugees. 33. It transpires from the answers given by states to the questionnaire that co-operation between states is often problematic. Co-operation agreements between states do not appear to exist. Requests for general information or in individual cases are often not answered. B. Child-friendly procedures for determining nationality or statelessness: legal aid, representation, access to information and justice for children 1. International standards 34. As already mentioned above, the activation of rules and practice for the avoidance of statelessness requires to respond to the preliminary question of whether a person who could be protected by such rules might already be a national of another state. In some instances, this question can be answered in the context of a procedure for determining whether a person is a national of the country of birth as a result of the protection of rules for the avoidance of statelessness or can acquire that nationality through a simplified procedure. However, the best way to organise a reliable and quick way to determine statelessness is to provide a dedicated statelessness determination procedure. 39. See also para. 18. Page 14 ►Stateless children’s access to nationality