Report on Citizenship Law: Uganda deaths” (Article 5(d)).82 The Act also deems the free and compulsory registration of births through Article 28. Despite the existing legal structures however, the process of ensuring all children are documented has proven to be one of immense complexity.83 This can be attributed to lack of awareness among parents who do not differentiate between notifying of their child’s birth as opposed to acquiring a proper birth certificate, in addition to being unaware of how to access the services, which would grant their child documentation (despite them being free). 84 Although birth registration and documentation may pose minimal significance during the earlier course of a child’s life, the ramifications of not having documentation especially as a refugee, vary from the inability to eventually access both humanitarian and socio-economic resources (i.e. education and health care), in addition to more broader consequences like the risk of becoming stateless or being excluded from the opportunity to eventually access citizenship either in Uganda, or in their origin country should they repatriate. 4.5 Participation in Continental & International Debates on Nationality & Statelessness As a member state of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR),85 Uganda is in the process of implementing the “Action Plan of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on the Eradication of Statelessness”—a step intended to harmonizing the efforts of ICGLR member states to address the phenomena of statelessness in the African Great Lakes Region and expanding the right to a nationality.86 It is also a part of a global campaign spearheaded by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to end statelessness by the year 2024.87 The ICGLR and UNHCR work with each member state to share best practices and the implementation of capacity-building measures to actualize the regional action plan. In December 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the UNHCR hosted a stakeholders meeting to develop a national plan for Uganda.88 This initiative was expected to launch in 82 Registration of Persons Act 2015, Uganda Legal Information Institute, https://ulii.org/system/files/legislation/act/2015/4/Registration%20of%20Persons%20Act%202015.pdf (accessed 12 December 2018). 83 Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative, Birth Registration of South Sudanese Refugee Children: The View from Uganda, 2017. http://citizenshiprightsafrica.org/birth-registration-of-south-sudanese-refugee-children-the-viewfrom-uganda/ (accessed 10 February 2019). 84 Ibid. 85 The ICGLR is an intergovernmental organization working to promote the following pillars in the Great Lakes Region: peace and security; democracy and good governance; economic development and regional integration; humanitarian and social issues. Member states include Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo; Democratic Republic of Congo; Kenya; Uganda; Rwanda; Republic of South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Zambia. 86 This effort is a result of each ICGLR member states reaffirming their commitment to end stateless by signing the “Declaration of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Member States on the Eradication of Statelessness” in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on the 16th October 2017; see further: Regional Treaties, Agreements, Declarations and Related, Declaration of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Member States on the Eradication of Statelessness, 16 October 2017, CIRGL/CIMR/DEC/15/10/2017. https://www.refworld.org/docid/59e9cb8c4.html (accessed 05 February 2019). 87 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Campaign Update, October – December 2018, October 2018. https://www.refworld.org/docid/5c1783737.html (accessed 5 February 2019). 88 For further details for the action plan for Uganda, reference objective 3.2.2. under the Action Plan of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on the Eradication of Statelessness. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/62888 (accessed 01 February 2019). RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/8 - © 2020 Author 19