By Julia Schweers Introduction Ghana’s citizenship laws were first defined with independence from British colonial rule in 1957. Its early citizenship laws established the so-called ‘Lancaster House’ model, which other African states later also used to determine membership at independence, […]
A new report by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) and the Freedom Fund reveals the links between lacking official documentation and modern slavery. Without legal identity, people struggle to access basic services and are often driven […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness In February 2024, in Kenya, UNHCR is reviewed and provided technical feedback on a proposed amendment of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, aiming to establish a registration […]
Three-country investigation shows digital IDs in Africa failing to deliver promised democratic and development boost, while making fortunes for tech vendors Some of the world’s poorest countries have been investing heavily in digital ID systems which it is claimed will […]
Executive Summary The position paper provides an in-depth analysis of the National ID System in Uganda, focusing on the National Security Identification System and the emerging New Generation National ID Project (Ndaga Muntu). The NSIS project, initiated to address security […]
Selected extracts relevant to Africa: Highlights The Republic of Congo officially joined the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, fulfilling a commitment made at the 2019 High-Level Segment on Statelessness. Sao Tome and Principe’s President signed a decree for the country’s […]
Highlights Côte d’Ivoire has publicly committed to fighting statelessness since 2013, which has earned the country recognition as a leader in this field in Africa. UNHCR continues to support Côte d’Ivoire in preventing statelessness and identifying, protecting, and seeking solutions […]
Introduction The concept of citizenship, a dynamic and multifaceted reality, has evolved significantly throughout history and across diverse cultures, societies, and ideologies. As articulated by Aristotle, the distinction between being a good person and a good citizen underscores the intricate […]
Nationality laws which do not grant women equality with men in conferring nationality on their children are a cause of statelessness and a concern for UNHCR.1 Since 2012, UNHCR has issued an annual background note on gender equality in provisions […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: Kenya recognized 7,000 Pemba individuals as citizens, granting them official documents. This ensures their rights and access to public services and opportunities. In Malawi, the Ministry of Home Affairs, officially adopted a National Action Plan (NAP) […]
Introduction The Government of Kenya has prioritised improvement of service delivery to its citizens through leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the reform strategy/agenda. Many of the services are also revenue streams for the government that it intends to […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: In Côte d’Ivoire, the Department of Aid and Assistance to Refugees and Stateless Persons drafted and validated standard operating procedures(SOPs) for the implementation of the statelessness determination procedure during a workshop on 26 and 27 April. […]