ANNUAL REPORT 2014-15 1 5 I am not even recognised officially as a father of my son. My name is not written in his birth certificate. They refused to write it there because I don’t have any documents proving my identity. HOW WE WORK Statelessness is a major human rights problem in Europe, yet for far too long it was ignored, with relatively little known about its causes, consequences and who it affects. We provide expertise, raise awareness through research, offer effective policy solutions and in our advocacy achieve a powerful ‘multiplier effect’ by working through our members in 39 European countries. LUKA, STATELESS MAN LIVING IN SLOVAKIA CAPACITY BUILDING Although numerous organisations have a mandate to address statelessness, few possess the specialist knowledge to tackle the root causes. We provide training and a forum for the exchange of information and good practices. Our specialist pool of trainers and experts implements our Europe Wide Training Programme in order to build capacity among civil society partners, policy makers and other key stakeholders. AWARENESS-RAISING WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT ENS was founded to fill a historical gap by acting as a coordinating body and expert resource for organisations working to end statelessness in Europe. At the heart of our strategy has been an understanding of the need to mainstream and raise awareness about statelessness and nationality issues, to build the capacity of civil society to take action, and to act as an effective catalyst for change. We are leading efforts to increase the focus on statelessness and to translate this into tangible protection for those affected. We remain dedicated to strengthening the often unheard voices of stateless persons in Europe. Despite recent awareness-raising gains, statelessness remains a relatively little understood issue. We aim to put a human face on the problem. Our weekly blog provides opinion and analysis of current developments to a readership of thousands. Our research and policy work generates widespread media coverage and we run targeted online campaigns in support of our advocacy work. LAW & POLICY DEVELOPMENT Our goal is to ensure full respect for stateless persons’ rights, through evidence-based advocacy. We commission and publish research so that the full scope of the problem is understood in order to implement effective policy solutions. In addition, our dedicated working group aims to bring about change through the targeted use of strategic litigation.