ANNEX I - 1954 CONVENTION RELATING TO THE STATUS OF STATELESS PERSONS* Preamble The High Contracting Parties Considering that the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved on 10 December 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations have affirmed the principle that human beings shall enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination, Considering that the United Nations has, on various occasions, manifested its profound concern for stateless persons and endeavoured to assure stateless persons the widest possible exercise of these fundamental rights and freedoms, Considering that only those stateless persons who are also refugees are covered by the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, and that there are many stateless persons who are not covered by that Convention, Considering that it is desirable to regulate and improve the status of stateless persons by an international agreement, Have agreed as follows: CHAPTER I: GENERAL PROVISIONS ANNEXES Article 1 Definition of the term “Stateless person” 1. For the purpose of this Convention, the term “stateless person” means a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law. 2. This Convention shall not apply: (i) To persons who are at present receiving from organs or agencies of the United Nations other than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees protection or assistance so long as they are receiving such protection or assistance; (ii) To persons who are recognized by the competent authorities of the country in which they have taken residence as having the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of the nationality of that country; * United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 360, p. 117 61