Until the Second World War, the grant and withdrawal of nationality was regarded as being wholly within the sovereign discretion of states. Since the Universal Declaration on Human Rights first provided for the right to a nationality in 1948, the international human rights framework has increasingly restricted that discretion.
The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons provides for the protection of stateless persons in a similar framework to that established for refugees; while the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness establishes certain basic rules to avoid statelessness at birth and in case of loss or deprivation of nationality.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both provide for every child to have the right to acquire a nationality. In addition, all the international human rights treaties targeting various forms of discrimination mention the right to a nationality, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racism, the Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and the Convention on the Rights of All Persons with Disabilities.
More information on the international standards and actions against statelessness can be found on the UNHCR website, including a set of important Guidelines on Statelessness and Good Practices Papers for states. In 2014, UNHCR launched the #IBelong campaign to end statelessness in ten years. The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) manages a database of recommendations related to statelessness issued to states from the UN human rights system.
In a first-of-its-kind event, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with subject matter experts Mr. Ibrahima Kane and Dr. Bronwen Manby, hosted a continental meeting to discuss next steps towards the ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on […]
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 […]
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 […]
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) […]
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. […]
CERD/C/MAR/CO/19-21 Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Concluding observations on the combined nineteenth to twenty-first periodic reports of Morocco * 1.The Committee considered the combined nineteenth to twenty-first periodic reports of Morocco, submitted in one document, at its 3024th […]
CRC/C/TGO/CO/5-6 Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Togo [Extract] Birth registration and nationality 23.The Committee welcomes the ratifications by the State party, in 2021, of the Convention relating […]
A new study by the Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, highlights risks of statelessness for refugees who have spent more than 20 years outside their country of origin, […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness The Government of Kenya formally recognized the Pemba as an ethnic community and therefore citizens of Kenya through a Gazette Notice on 30 January. It instructs authorities to […]
UNHCR press release: Geneva summit garners action to tackle gender discriminatory nationality laws Webpage for the summit. Download interventions from African states and NGOs: Address by Mrs. Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr, Minister of Gender, Children & Social Protection, Liberia Remarks by […]
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. Since 2012, UNHCR has, in line with its mandate to prevent and reduce statelessness, […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: Implementation of the Global Action Plan Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness On 12 December, during Kenya’s 59th Jamhuri Day (Independence day) celebrations, President Dr. William Ruto announced that the Government will “initiate modalities […]