59 - 66 B. ESTABLISHING DETERMINATION PROCEDURES 62. States have broad discretion in the design and operation of statelessness determination procedures as the 1954 Convention is silent on such matters. Local factors, such as the estimated size and diversity of the stateless population, as well as the complexity of the legal and evidentiary issues to be examined, will influence the approach taken. For such procedures to be effective, though, the determination of statelessness must be a specific objective of the mechanism in question, though not necessarily the only one. 63. Current State practice is varied with respect to the location of statelessness determination procedures within national administrative structures, reflecting country-specific considerations. States may choose between a centralized procedure or one that is conducted by local authorities. Centralized procedures are preferable as they are more likely to develop the necessary expertise among the officials undertaking status determination. Ensuring easy access for applicants located in different parts of a country can be facilitated through various measures: for example, permitting written applications to be submitted to local offices for onward transmission to the central determination body, which can coordinate and guide the appropriate examination of relevant facts at the local level, including the personal interview with the applicant. 64. Establishing whether a person is stateless can be complex and challenging but it is in the interests of both States and stateless persons that determination procedures be as simple, fair and efficient as possible. To this end, some States might consider adapting existing administrative procedures to include statelessness determination. Factors to consider include administrative capacity, existing expertise on statelessness matters, as well as expected size and profile of the stateless population. In any combined procedure it is essential that the definition of a stateless person is clearly understood and properly applied and that procedural safeguards and evidentiary standards are respected. 65. Some States might elect to integrate statelessness determination procedures within the competence of immigration authorities. Other States may place statelessness determination within the body responsible for nationality issues, for example naturalization applications or verification of nationality requests. This would be particularly appropriate where the individuals concerned are likely to be longstanding residents of the State. 66. As some stateless persons may also be refugees, States may consider combining statelessness and refugee determination in the same procedure. Confidentiality requirements for applications by asylum- PART TWO (1) Design and location of determination procedures 27