Author Archives for Bronwen Manby

CMW Concluding Observations: Rwanda, 2021

October 21, 2021 1:14 pm Published by Comments Off on CMW Concluding Observations: Rwanda, 2021

Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Rwanda CMW/C/RWA/CO/2 Birth registration and nationality 37.The Committee notes with satisfaction that children born in the […]


UNHCR Campaign to End Statelessness Update July-Sept 2021

October 21, 2021 8:56 am Published by Comments Off on UNHCR Campaign to End Statelessness Update July-Sept 2021

Extracts relevant to Africa: Mobilizing governments and civil society On 20 August, in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNHCR and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region convened a workshop to take stock of progress on the […]


South Africa: Zim Exemption Permit holders want to be declared permanent residents

October 20, 2021 3:10 pm Published by Comments Off on South Africa: Zim Exemption Permit holders want to be declared permanent residents

The Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders Association, representing roughly 250 000 Zimbabweans in SA, has asked the Gauteng High Court to declare them permanent residents, as their Zimbabwe Exemption Permits expire in November 2021. They are also asking the court to […]


Background Note on Discrimination in Nationality Laws and Statelessness

October 20, 2021 12:17 pm Published by Comments Off on Background Note on Discrimination in Nationality Laws and Statelessness

Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity; race; religion; age; sex; gender; disability; language; or sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) is a cause of statelessness. Direct or indirect discrimination on these grounds is  currently found […]


Without documentation, who are you?

October 19, 2021 4:07 pm Published by Comments Off on Without documentation, who are you?

By Abdul Noormohamed, Luminate’s Africa Director Over half of African children are legally unregistered, thereby lacking legal documentation that excludes them from civic life. Here is a look at the journey and strategies employed to support such individuals in East […]


Zimbabwe: Is Registry Sabotaging Issuance of National Identity Cards?

October 19, 2021 3:15 pm Published by Comments Off on Zimbabwe: Is Registry Sabotaging Issuance of National Identity Cards?

MUTARE – Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust (ZEAT) has called on the Registrar`s Office to come up with a mechanism to deal with the delays being experienced in the issuance of national Identity documents. ZEAT Executive Director Ignatius Sadziwa said delays […]


Egypt Achieves Nationality Law Reform But Gaps Remain

October 18, 2021 9:14 pm Published by Comments Off on Egypt Achieves Nationality Law Reform But Gaps Remain

The Boston University International Human Rights Clinic is currently in the fourth year of a project mapping the issues of statelessness throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by engaging in country-by-country in-depth studies. As discussed in a recent […]


“The Cart Before the Horse” – A Kenyan Court Just Quashed a USD 95M Biometric Digital ID Project

October 18, 2021 5:48 pm Published by Comments Off on “The Cart Before the Horse” – A Kenyan Court Just Quashed a USD 95M Biometric Digital ID Project

By Laura Bingham The case is a watershed moment in the regulation of data-driven public sector initiatives The Context: A Global Biometric Identification Industry Digital technologies dominate decisions about the future of public infrastructures like civil registration and electoral systems, […]


Kenya: Consortium Applauds Court Judgement Declaring Huduma Cards Illegal; Calls for Further Reforms

October 18, 2021 1:46 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Consortium Applauds Court Judgement Declaring Huduma Cards Illegal; Calls for Further Reforms

On 14 October, the High Court struck down the Government of Kenya’s decision to roll out Huduma Cards due to violations of the Data Protection Act, 2019. The Court found that the government had started collecting personal data from Kenyans […]


Towards securing children’s rights to birth registration in Zimbabwe

October 18, 2021 8:57 am Published by Comments Off on Towards securing children’s rights to birth registration in Zimbabwe

By Thobekile Matimbe Introduction Are the provisions in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013 (the Zimbabwean Constitution) which give effect to prompt provision of birth certificates to children mere cosmetic glamour? Sections 81(1)(b) and (c) of Zimbabwe’s Constitution provide for children’s […]


Kenya: Huduma Namba: AG files notice of appeal against illegality ruling

October 15, 2021 6:27 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Huduma Namba: AG files notice of appeal against illegality ruling

Attorney General Kihara Kariuki has filed a notice of appeal against the judgement that quashed Huduma Namba cards rollout. The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Jairus Ngaah. The AG said he is dissatisfied with the judgment. Read further: […]


New Kenya High Court Judgment Sets Important Precedent for Digital ID Privacy Protections and Processes

October 15, 2021 1:46 pm Published by Comments Off on New Kenya High Court Judgment Sets Important Precedent for Digital ID Privacy Protections and Processes

NEW YORK—The Open Society Justice Initiative welcomes a recent judgment handed down by the High Court in Kenya declaring the data collection and roll-out of biometric Huduma cards for the country’s digital ID system, the National Integrated Identity Management System […]