UNHCR Southern Africa Statelessness Newsletter January – March 2021

Published: 31/Mar/2021
Source: UNHCR Southern Africa

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1961 CONVENTION

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

The 1961 Convention is the only universal instrument that elaborates clear and concrete safeguards to prevent the occurrence of statelessness. Accession to the 1961 Convention equips States to avoid and resolve nationality-related disputes.

IN BRIEF

  • 4 countries only have ratified the 1961 Convention, Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique, with Angola being the last country to accede in October 2019
  • 8 countries have pledged to accede, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, The Republic of Congo, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • 3 countries have already initiated accession procedures, the Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia.

Awareness and Advocacy

Strengthening governmental policy

Legislative reform

Strengthening birth registration

Protecting stateless people

Measuring statelessness

Issuing nationality documents

Download: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/unhcr-statelessness-newsletter-january-march-2021

Themes: Statelessness
Regions: Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Southern Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Year: 2021