76 Global Recommendations on Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change Global Recommendations on Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change GLOSSARY GLOSSARY Migration: The movement of persons away from their usual residence, either across an international border or within a State. For the purposes of this document, the term refers to population movements that are primarily voluntary in nature.94 Slow-onset events: An environmental event or process slowly evolving from incremental changes occurring over many years, or from an increased frequency or intensity of recurring events,99 including sea-level rise, increasing aridity and desertification, salinization, rising temperatures, glacial retreat, land and forest degradation, loss of biodiversity and ocean acidification, as specified by Parties to the UNFCCC.100 Mitigation (of climate change): A human intervention to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane (CH4 ) and nitrous oxide (N20), or to enhance natural and artificial sinks or reservoirs that store greenhouse gases, such as the deep ocean, forest biomass, and soil organic matter.95 Nationality: A legal status which reflects a formal link between the individual and a particular State, giving rise to legal obligations between the individual and the State. At the international level the term ‘nationality’ is used interchangeably with the term ‘citizenship’. Naturalisation: The process of granting nationality to a person (as opposed to that status being automatically acquired at birth). There are many ways in which a person may become a naturalized national, including residence for a prescribed period on the territory, marriage to a national, by descent, and by re-applying for nationality as a former national. Own country: This term is interpreted in the sense envisaged by Article 12(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Human Rights Committee in its General Comment No 27. Stateless persons in their ‘own country’ include individuals who are long-term, habitual residents of a State which is often, but not always, their country of birth. It includes those who have been denied nationality due to state succession and/or those arbitrarily deprived of the right to acquire the nationality of the country of long-term residence.96 Persons without a recognized nationality status: Includes individuals who lack proof or recognition of any nationality status but who may possess an entitlement to nationality. Persons without a recognized nationality status include those whose nationality status is unclear or under dispute. It also includes those who are stateless and who may self-identify as such, but where their statelessness status has not been formally recognized by the government in the country of residence, including those who are in the process of securing this recognition. It also includes those without a recognized nationality status because of real or perceived link(s) to another country/ies by the government in the country of residence.97 Planned relocation: A planned process in which persons or groups of persons move or are assisted to move away from their homes or places of temporary residence, are settled in a new location, and provided with the conditions for rebuilding their lives. Planned relocation can be voluntary or involuntary, and usually takes place within the country, but may, in very exceptional cases, also occur across international borders.98 Stateless person (statelessness/ stateless): A person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law.101 Stateless persons in a migratory context: Stateless persons who have migrated or been displaced from their own country across international borders. They may have been stateless prior to their migration or displacement or become stateless in the context of their migration or displacement. Statelessness determination procedure: A formal process established by a State to identify individuals who meet the definition of a stateless person under the 1954 Convention. By determining and documenting statelessness, the procedure enables States to fulfil their international obligations, assess the presence and needs of stateless persons within migrant populations, and regularize their legal status and stay within the country. Stateless-led organisation: Refers to an entity that is led by stateless persons, or persons who are not themselves stateless but are affected by statelessness, such as family members of stateless persons, or persons who are formerly stateless. Vulnerable/vulnerability: The propensity for a person or situation to be adversely affected. Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements, including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope or adapt.102 77