11 THE GLOBAL OUTLOOK Statelessness affects millions of individuals worldwide, leaving them vulnerable and deprived of basic rights and protections. The decade-long effort of the #IBelong campaign launched by the UNHCR is still in progress towards achieving the colossal goal of ending the condition worldwide. According to UNHCR, some 4.4 million stateless people were reported residing in 95 countries at the end of 2022. The true global figure is estimated to be significantly higher1. Statelessness can arise from various circumstances: either being born stateless if their parents are themselves stateless, or due to the restrictive nationality laws and processes of the country they are born in. Others may become stateless due to conflicts, changes in borders, gaps in nationality laws, or discriminatory practices. Such a condition enhances vulnerability, causing a lack of citizenship due to the absence of documentation; an absence of legal protection with limited access to justice and judicial guarantees; the denial of basic human rights, including the right to nationality, the right to vote, the right to work and to freedom of movement; and hampering access to essential services such as education and healthcare. UNHCR has a specific mandate to end and prevent statelessness globally. The #IBelong campaign of 2014-2024 aims to mobilize governments, civil society, and the international community to take action. It calls for the reform of discriminatory nationality laws, the establishment of safeguards to prevent childhood statelessness, and the provision of legal pathways to acquire or confirm nationality. Despite the decade-long huge effort so far, a lot remains to be done. 1. UNHCR. Refugee Population Statistics Database, last update 14 June 2023. Box 1. Statelessness in international law • Statelessness occurs when a person does not possess legal recognition or documentation from any state, and therefore lacks the rights and protections associated with citizenship. • The 1954 Convention, along with the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, provide a framework for states to prevent and reduce statelessness, grant protection and assistance to stateless persons, and establish procedures for acquiring nationality. • The right to nationality is protected under international law through various international legal instruments. The most significant is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which, although not a binding treaty, has been widely recognized as reflecting customary international law. Article 15 of the UDHR states: "Everyone has the right to a nationality”. © 2023 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.