28. Some States have a single, centralized body that governs nationality issues that would constitute the competent authority for the purposes of an analysis of nationality status. Other States, however, have several authorities that can determine nationality, any one of which might be considered a competent authority depending on the circumstances. Thus, it is not necessary that a competent authority be a central State body. A local or regional administrative body can be a competent authority as can a consular official20 and in many cases low-level local government officials will constitute the competent authority. The mere possibility that the decision of such an official can later be overridden by a senior official does not in itself exclude the former from being treated as a competent authority for the purposes of an Article 1(1) analysis. 29. Identifying the competent authority or authorities involves establishing which legal provision(s) relating to nationality may be relevant in an individual’s case and which authority/authorities are mandated to apply them. Isolating the relevant legal provisions requires both an assessment of an individual’s personal history as well as an understanding of the nationality laws of a State, including the interpretation and application, or non-application in some cases, of nationality laws in practice. 30. The identity and number of competent authorities in a particular case will depend, in particular, on the following factors: • whether automatic or non-automatic modes for the acquisition, renunciation, or withdrawal of nationality need to be considered; and • whether more than one nationality-related event needs to be examined. (iii) Evaluating evidence of competent authorities in nonautomatic modes of nationality acquisition and withdrawal 14 31. Identifying the competent authority where a non-automatic mode of changing nationality status is involved can be relatively straightforward. For mechanisms which are dependent on an act or decision of a State body, that body will be the competent authority. 32. For example, the government department that decides naturalization applications will be the competent authority in respect of this mechanism. The position of this authority is generally decisive. Some non-automatic modes involving an act of the State do not involve any discretion on the part of the officials concerned; if an individual satisfies the requirements 20 Please see below at paragraphs 39-40.