10 ACTIONS TO END STATELESSNESS Action 1: RESOLVE EXISTING MAJOR SITUATIONS OF STATELESSNESS STARTING POINT MILESTONES GOAL BY 2024 • There are 20 major reported non-refugee statelessness situations. By 2017: • • By 2020: Law, policy and administrative reforms are in place to grant or confirm nationality of non-refugee stateless persons in 10 of the major non-refugee statelessness situations.4 Major non-refugee statelessness situations are often linked to non-inclusion of specific groups in the body of citizens at the time of independence, sometimes for discriminatory reasons. These situations generally have persisted for decades. A number of States have recognized the negative impact and have taken steps to resolve largescale situations. They have shown that the key factor is political will and that relatively simple and low-cost reforms can have an immediate, permanent impact. 8 Law, policy and administrative reforms in place to grant or confirm nationality of non-refugee stateless persons in an additional 5 of the major non-refugee statelessness situations (15 situations in total since 2014). All major non-refugee statelessness situations resolved. CONTEXT 4 • HOW CAN THIS ACTION BE IMPLEMENTED? The most cost-effective way of resolving major statelessness situations is through changes to legislation or government policy, including one-off measures to recognize as nationals those populations excluded at the time of State independence. Rules for conferral of nationality can be changed so that all stateless people resident in the territory are considered nationals provided that they were born on the territory or have resided there before a particular date, or have parents or grandparents who meet these criteria. Requirements and procedures for The 20 largest non-refugee statelessness situations are reported in UNHCR’s 2013 Global Trends Report published on 20 June 2014: http://www.unhcr.org/5399a14f9.html. As new population data is gathered under Action 10 and large new stateless populations come to light, Action 1 will require measures to be undertaken in additional States. UNHCR > G LO B A L AC T I O N P L A N TO E N D S TAT E L E S S N E S S : 2 0 1 4 – 2 0 2 4