REGIONAL OVERVIEW
Brunei and Myanmar contain restrictions in their
citizenship laws based on ethnicity.37 The laws of
the Maldives contain provisions that limit access
to citizenship based on religious grounds.38
The laws of five states (Brunei, Kiribati, Malaysia,
Singapore and Nepal) contain provisions that
inhibit the ability of women to confer nationality
to their children on the same grounds as men.39
Additionally, the citizenship laws of the Maldives
may contain gender discriminatory provisions,
however, limited information is available.40 The
laws of nine states (Bangladesh, Brunei, Kiribati,
Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines (for
naturalized women only), Singapore and Thailand)
limit the ability of married women to confer their
nationality onto foreign spouses on the same
basis as men.41
Ratification of Relevant Treaties
Treaty ratification is varied and inconsistent across
the Asia-Pacific. Only five of the 38 countries
in the Asia-Pacific (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, the
Philippines, and South Korea) have become a
party to the Convention relating to the Status of
Stateless Persons (‘1954 Convention’),42 four of
the 38 states (Australia, Kiribati, New Zealand,
and the Philippines)43 to the Convention on the
Reduction of Stateless Persons (‘1961 Convention’),
and three to both treaties (Australia, Kiribati, and
the Philippines). The region sees a slightly higher
rate of accession to the 1951 Convention relating to
the Status of Refugees (‘Refugee Convention’), with
15 countries (Afghanistan, Australia, Cambodia,
China, Fiji, Japan, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, South Korea, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu) in
the region having accessioned to the treaty and its
1967 Refugee Convention Protocol.44
The key human rights treaties generally see a
higher rate of ratification across the region than
the Statelessness and Refugee Conventions.
There is universal accession to the Convention of
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
the Rights of the Child (‘CRC’) (38 of 38 states), with
Malaysia retaining a reservation with respect to
article 7 which provides the right to a nationality.45
Near universal accession to the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (‘CEDAW’) (36 of 38 states, Palau
and Tonga being the two notable exceptions) exist
in the region, with three states (Brunei, Malaysia,
and South Korea) maintaining a reservation to
article 9(2) which provides women with equal
rights regarding the nationality of their children.46
Over two-thirds of the states have accessioned
to the other relevant human rights treaties
and covenants. 27 of 38 states are party to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(‘ICCPR’) (Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh,
Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Maldives,
Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand,
North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines, Samoa, South Korea, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Vietnam).47
26 states are party to the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (’ICESCR’)
(Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Maldives,
Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal,
North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam).48 26
states are also party to the International Convention
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (’ICERD’)
(Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Maldives,
Marshall islands, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand,
North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South
Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and Vietnam).49
TABLE 01
Status of Accession Of International Human Rights Treaties
Country
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China (including
HongKong, Taiwan)
Federated States of
Micronesia
Fiji
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kribati
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea
Pakistan
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Samoa
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Srilanka
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
The variance between levels of ratification is
notable, two states (Australia and the Philippines)
are parties to all relevant conventions and three
have ratified almost all the treaties (Fiji, New
Zealand, and South Korea). In contrast, Palau,
Vietnam
✅
⛔
⚠
Stateless 1
Stateless 2
Refugee
ICCPR
ICESCR
ICERD
CRC
CEDAW
5
4
15
27
26
26
38
36
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
Signifies that the country is a party to the convention
Signifies that the country is not a party to the convention
Signifies that the country is a party to the convention
with certain reservations
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
⛔
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⚠
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⚠
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⚠
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
⚠
✅
✅
✅
⛔
✅
✅
✅
Stateless 1 - 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
Stateless 2 - 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness
16
17
STATELESSNESS ENCYCLOPEDIA ASIA PACIFIC
REPORT 2023