UNHCR Campaign to end statelessness Update October – December 2024
Published: 10/Mar/2025
Source: UNHCR
Implementation of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness
Extracts relevant to Africa
Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness
In December, in Mali, with UNHCR’s support, a workshop organized by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, focused on reviewing the #IBelong campaign and finalizing the National Action Plan.
Action 2: Ensure that no child is born stateless
In Algeria, between July and September, UNHCR identified and referred vulnerable cases for legal assistance, facilitating late birth registration and issuance of birth certificates to prevent statelessness.
In the Central African Republic, a UNHCR-led mission (during November–December) with the National Committee on Statelessness engaged authorities in Lobaye and Nana-Mambéré. The mission strengthened local capacity to improve birth registration procedures and successfully advocated for the free issuance of birth certificates in line with the Child Protection Act.
Action 6: Grant protection status to stateless migrants and facilitate their naturalization
In Mali, following advocacy by UNHCR and partners, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft law on the status of stateless persons on 4 December 2024. The final stage is its examination by the Conseil National de Transition.
Action 7: Ensure birth registration for the prevention of statelessness
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, between July and December, the Interinstitutional technical committee for addressing statelessness, in coordination with provincial authorities, facilitated the birth registration of 17,800 children in Kasai, North, and South Kivu provinces. These children, including those from host communities, IDPs, and refugee populations, were registered through a judgment procedure.
In the Republic of Congo, from October to December, UNHCR supported mobile courts in six departments—Likouala, Sangha, Plateaux, Kouilou, Niari, and Bouenza. These mobile courts operated in remote areas, enabling 17,108 individuals, including children, adults, and the elderly, to obtain birth certificates through a judgment procedure. The registration process is ongoing.
In Mozambique, between September and December, UNHCR collaborated with the Catholic University of Mozambique, the Provincial services of justice and labour, the Provincial services of civil identification, and Helpcode to issue birth certificates and identity documents to 3,280 IDPs in Nampula province and Mossuril district, and 9,515 individuals, including IDPs, returnees, and host community members in Cabo Delgado province. Awareness-raising activities on legal issues and civil documentation were also conducted.
In Zambia, in December, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, in collaboration with the Department of National Registration, Passport, and Citizenship, conducted birth registration exercises in the Mantapala refugee settlement and Lusaka. The number of children registered is yet to be released by the government.
South Sudan adopted Civil registration and national identification regulations, providing guidelines for civil registry and vital statistics (CRVS) operations.
In Burkina Faso, UNHCR, in partnership with the General Directorate for the modernization of civil status, supported civil documentation issuance for IDPs and vulnerable host community members. Out of nine target regions, 14,378 civil documents were issued, including 10,339 birth certificates and 4,039 national identity cards.
In the Central African Republic, in November, UNHCR provided seven birth registers to Boda and Boganangone communes. Additionally, in December, 650 birth registers were purchased and will be distributed to civil registry centers in 2025.
In December, Cameroon adopted Law N° 2024/016 on civil registration, modernizing the system in line with international standards. The law introduces a unique personal identification number, extends birth registration deadlines, and incorporates digitalization. Additionally, Cameroon adopted Law N° 2024/015 on civil protection, enhancing disaster and crisis management for forcibly displaced persons facing civil documentation challenges.
In Senegal, during the reporting period, UNHCR supported the issuance of 763 late birth certificates for refugee children out of the planned 1,038. In December, in response to flood damage affecting civil registration centers in northern Senegal, UNHCR and Green Village Foundation donated 100 birth registers to local authorities to ensure continued registration efforts.
Action 8: Issue nationality documentation to those with entitlement to it
In Zimbabwe, in October, UNHCR supported the Embassy of Malawi to conduct mobile consular clinics in Gweru and Bulawayo. These clinics are an important outreach programme that brings consular services closer to people of Malawian origin, facilitating access to information on nationality, dual citizenship, and acquisition of documentation. The consular clinics reached 205 individuals of Malawian origin with information and services.
In the Central African Republic, in November and December, UNHCR and the National Committee for the Fight Against Statelessness distributed 891 birth certificates to returnees living in the commune of Boda and in villages in the commune of Balé-Loko (M’Baïki sub-prefecture).
Action 9: Accede to the UN Statelessness Conventions
In November, South Sudan acceded to the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions, fulfilling a pledge made at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum.
Action 10: Improve quantitative and qualitative data on stateless populations
In Botswana, in December, a pre-validation workshop on the statelessness study was held with the Technical Working Group, including the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and UNHCR. The study is part of Botswana’s pledges under the Global Refugee Forum. The Ministry informed that cabinet procedures were underway for accession to the 1961 Convention, and the study would support that process.
In South Africa, in November, UNHCR presented the preliminary findings of the study on statelessness to the Government of South Africa. The study is scheduled for validation in February 2025 as part of the country’s commitments to end statelessness.
In the Central African Republic, UNHCR supported a study profiling stateless populations and those at risk. A data collection system was set up in target prefectures, with surveys completed by 6,000 individuals, local authorities, community leaders, NGOs, and agencies in Lobaye, Nana-
Mambéré, and Mambéré-Kadéi. The data is currently being processed for validation and submission to authorities.
In The Gambia, from 29 October to 1 November, UNHCR and the Gambia Commission for Refugees conducted a survey on the risk of statelessness among the Ghana Town community. Despite over five decades of residence, many inhabitants remain stateless, lacking formal citizenship from either The Gambia or Ghana. The survey included 686 respondents (409 males, 277 females) across different age groups and provided key insights into nationality issues.
In Guinea-Bissau, UNHCR and the National commission for refugees and internally displaced persons organized a workshop with the National Institute of Statistics to integrate statelessness into upcoming census questionnaires. The workshop created an opportunity to include statelessness and risk of statelessness in the 2025 census, with discussions ongoing between UNHCR’s partner and the Institute of Statistics.
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