Arab Declaration on Belonging and Legal Identity
Published: 28/Feb/2018
Source: League of Arab States
We are the participants in the ministerial conference on “belonging and Legal Identity”, which was held on February 28, 2018, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Béji Caid Sibsi, in the presence of the Ministers of Social Affairs and Justice and Representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, in addition to Representatives from mechanism in the Arab States dedicated to women’s and children’s issues, and regional and international organizations,
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We underscore the following:
1. Urge member States to provide an enhanced protection to refugee children, especially unaccompanied and separated children, emphasizing the provision of services that meet children’s needs and providing them with psychological and moral support in particular.
2. Call upon LAS Secretariat to enact an Arab Model Law that reflects best practices in granting nationality at birth, including to displaced and refugee children.
3. Call upon Member states to enact legislations, and review and enforce their national laws on nationality; to ensure, without exception, that all children, including unaccompanied children are registered upon birth and are able to acquire a nationality, in particular by promoting laws enabling women to pass their nationalities to their children in compliance with the relevant international Conventions and Covenants.
4. Encourage and support the effective implementation of laws that safeguard the rights of children in the region to enjoy a legal identity, including a name, a nationality and family relations, with relevant measures including awareness-raising, publicity, training and capacity-building for those concerned and competent to take into account the achievement of gender equality, including judges, local leaders and relevant civil society.
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Read full declaration on Refworld in English and Arabic.