CEDAW Concluding Observations: Congo Republic, 2018
Published: 14/Nov/2018
Source: UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the Congo
CEDAW/C/COG/CO/7
Nationality
38.The Committee welcomes the information provided by the State party that all children born in its territory, including children born to foreign parents, have a right to Congolese nationality. It is concerned, however, that the Nationality Law of the Congo grants men, but not women, the right to transfer their nationality to a foreign spouse. The Committee is also concerned that many births remain unregistered in the State party, in particular in areas with large indigenous populations. The Committee is further concerned that the State party has not acceded to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of 1954 and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness of 1961.
39. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Amend the Nationality Law to allow Congolese women to transfer their nationality to their foreign spouses on an equal basis with Congolese men;
(b) Intensify its efforts to ensure timely birth registration and issuance of birth certificates, free of charge, throughout its territory, including through awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of birth registration and the use of mobile civil registration units, paying particular attention to indigenous children;
(c) Accede to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of 1954 and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness of 1961.