ISI Database on Statelessness and
Human Rights

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: To accede and or ratify the 1954 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Stateless Persons as well as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the 2009 AU Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internal Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) by 2020. [Year of Completion 2020]

The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to introduce a provision in its nationality law to grant nationality to children of unknown origin found in its territory. [Y.o.C. 2021]

The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to identify stateless persons in all regions and to undertake and publish a qualitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation. [Y.o.C. 2020]

The Government of the Republic of Namibia hereby commits: Commit to fully implement the Action Plan on the Eradication of Statelessness in Namibia. [Y.o.C. 2023]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of the Republic of the Niger commits to set up a procedure to recognize the status of stateless persons on the basis of the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, to which the Niger acceded in 2014. (Year of Completion: 2020)

The Government of the Republic of the Niger hereby commits to by 2020 undertake and publish a qualitative study to better understand the causes of statelessness and the groups at risk of statelessness living across the territory, with a view to finding a solution to their situation. (Y.o.C. 2020)

The Government of the Republic of the Niger hereby commits to amend the law governing matters of nationality in order to guarantee the conferral of nationality at birth to children born in the Niger who would otherwise be stateless, as well as to the foundlings. (Y.o.C. 2024)

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to establish a National Taskforce on Statelessness: it will consist of selecting offices from relevant institutions and setting up a Concept Note and Terms of Reference which shall guide the work of the taskforce. The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) shall be the initiating institution and the coordinator of the activities. The establishment of a National task force on Statelessness and related activities are expected to be completed by February 2020. (Year of Completion 2020)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to prepare and adopt a national action plan to eradicate statelessness. This commitment will be following establishment of a National Taskforce on Statelessness. The National Action Plan will be made up by actions that are needed to be taken in the particular context of the country in ending statelessness such as reviewing the nationality laws in favour of ending statelessness, ensuring birth registration, issuing documentations and keep the momentum in having anti gender discrimination law. As the government of Rwanda made commitment on ending Statelessness in successive forums, National Action Plan will be implemented until the end of 2024. The implementation of the National Action Plan will involve various different institutions under the coordination of the DGIE. (Y.o.C 2020)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to enact the amendments of nationality laws facilitating the naturalisation of stateless persons. The government of Rwanda acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2006 and effective of implementation of these instruments needs their alignment with domestic nationality laws. A new nationality law that will cater for the naturalisation of stateless persons has been initiated to replace the current Organic Law no 30/2008 of 25/07/2008 relating to Rwandan nationality. The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration is responsible for ensuring the enactment process of the amendments of the nationality law and such law is expected to be passed by the Parliament by June 2020. (Y.o.C 2020)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to include the question of statelessness in the next national population and housing census that is expected to take place in 2022. In order to get the exact number and profile of stateless persons in Rwanda while minimising the cost of exercise, it is being planned to include variable of statelessness and the statelessness officers will work hand in hand with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. The Results from the exercise to identify and get the exact number of stateless persons in Rwanda are expected to be available early 2023. (Y.o.C 2023)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to granting or confirming nationality of all stateless persons and their descendants living on Rwanda territory. After amendment of the nationality law and getting the number and the profile of the stateless persons in Rwanda, the next action will be to naturalise all persons who will have been found stateless or at risk of statelessness in accordance with the provisions of the law. The persons with confirmed nationality will be connected to their country of origin to get documentation. The action of granting or confirming nationality of all stateless persons and their descendants living on Rwandan territory will be coordinated by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration by 2024. (Y.o.C 2024)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to improve access to late birth registration for refugees in line with the principle of universal birth registration in order to ensure that all refugees born in Rwanda have their birth registered and have a birth certificate or civil status ruling. This commitment is already under implementation as the government of Rwanda in 2006 enacted a new law on persons and family in order to ensure that every child is registered immediately after birth and the condition of making late registration through the court is removed and the fine is waived for registering orphans. In the same context, it is planned to have regular Civil Registration week in refugee camps to raise awareness in registering new birth and give awards to Civil Registrar office that perform well. After every registration, birth record will be issued and make sure that all adults have refugee card. This action will be carried out by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Local Government and the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration and though the action is continuous by the campaign and giving awards will be launched by 2020. (Y.o.C -)

The Government of Rwanda hereby commits to ensuring that former refugees of Rwandan origin who opted for local integration in their respective host country and whose refugee status was ceased by the respective asylum authority, and who are entitled to nationality documents and willing to obtain these documents, but have not yet acquired them are able to do so. This activity has been being implemented by the Rwandan embassies along with the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration and National Identification Agency. In order to ensure the success of the activity, a set of activities have been planned that include the reinforcing Come and See event whereby some refugees come in Rwanda for visit and return to their host countries after getting National ID and Passport, undertake awareness in the countries hosting Rwandan refugees by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration officials and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Rwandan Embassies. This action is expected to be ongoing but the intensive awareness has to be conducted until 2024 to avoid possible loss of connection with their country of origin. (Y.o.C 2024)

The government of Rwanda hereby commits to contribute to the adoption and subsequent ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on Specific Aspects of the Right to Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. Being a party to both conventions on statelessness reflects the commitment Rwanda has in the fight against statelessness, it is in this context Rwanda has been continentally at the forefront in taking actions aimed at ending statelessness through its various policies such as gender equality, civil registration and documentation for everyone. It therefore participated in the drafting of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights to Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. The Government of Rwanda is ready to sign and ratify it once adopted and will encourage other countries to do so. The Ministry of
Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will lead this action. (Y.o.C -)

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to build the capacity of [Ministries, Departments and Agencies] and other advocacy organisations (through trainings) to continue to protect and assist stateless persons in protracted situations. [Year of Completion 2020]

Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to endorse the launch of the National Action Plan of Statelessness by mid 2020. [Y.o.C. 2020]

Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to establish a statelessness determination procedure to determine and assist stateless people, among migrants and those with undetermined nationality to acquire or confirm their nationality with effective, efficient and sustainable support from policy programmes in the country (e.g. social safety net, micro enterprise group, self-help affinity group). [Y.o.C. 2023]

Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits to gather qualitative and quantitative data on Stateless persons by 2021. [Y.o.C. 2021]

Government of Sierra Leone hereby commits: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness regarding conferment of Nationality to persons that are stateless or at risk of being stateless by 2024. [Y.o.C. 2024]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

By 31 December 2020, the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia commits to accede to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. [Year of Completion 2020]

By 31 December 2020, the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia commits to conduct and publish a qualitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals and groups at risk of statelessness living in its territory with a view to finding a situation to their situation. [Y.o.C. 2020]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

Accede to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (Action 9 of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness). [Year of Completion 2020]

The Government of Uganda hereby commits by the end of 2019, to finalise and approve the National Action Plan to serve as the national strategy to eradicate statelessness in the country by 2024. [Y.o.C 2019]

By 2021, complete a legal study on statelessness and citizenship in order to better understand and address the factors leaving certain populations stateless or at risk of statelessness and to support comprehensive legal and constitutional reform (Action 10 of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness). [Y.o.C 2021]

By 2024, introduce and implement safeguard in its nationality law to grant nationality to children born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless (Action 2 of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness). [Y.o.C 2024]

By 2024, introduce a law reform to prevent denial or attribution of nationality at birth on discriminatory grounds. [Y.o.C 2024]

By 2024, ensure that the Maragoli, Benet, Ugandan-Asian and other unrecognised communities present in Uganda since before 1926 are recognised as citizens of Uganda. [Y.o.C 2024]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2021, undertake and publish a qualitative and quantitative study to better understand the situation of stateless groups and individuals living in its territory with a view to finding a solution to their situation.

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Based on the findings of the study, develop a National Action Plan by 2022 in ending statelessness by 2024.

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders towards the accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness by 2023.The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: Include a question or questions in its next national census in 2022 to identify stateless persons living in its territory.

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2023, establish a dedicated statelessness determination procedure to identify stateless persons within the territory and grant them protection status with an aim to solutions.

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2023, complete the ongoing process of aligning its Citizenship Act [Chapter 4:01] and Births and Deaths Registration Act [Chapter 5:02] with the new Constitution (Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act. 20 1.1) in ensuring the proper safeguards in preventing statelessness.

The Government of Zimbabwe hereby commits: By 2024, simplify and improve access to birth registration procedures, including issuance of birth certificates to descendants of former migrant workers and failed asylum seekers to ensure universal birth registration.

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of Belize hereby commits: A well-functioning system of birth registration events promotes the civil rights and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the management and delivery of government services, including health and social welfare benefits to the people. It is also the source of reliable, current and continuous information on vital events that would support informed decision at all levels. Although the birth registration system has been operational in Belize for many decades, it has not yet reached its full potential.

In 2015 UNICEF and the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) conducted a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey which revealed that approximately four percent of children remain outside of the system and are not registered at all. The children from poor families and those in rural areas are least likely to have a birth certificate. Children in the Toledo district are somewhat less likely to have their births registered than other children, as are children in the poorest households. It is good that the country has achieved a birth registration coverage rate of 96% and very few countries have this record. But in terms of child’s rights and other human rights, four percent of the population between the ages of 0 – 5 is still not registered and therefore not counted.

In 2016 the Government of Belize commissioned the development of a Bottleneck Analysis of Birth Registration. The analysis was commissioned in order to provide an opportunity to take stock of the current performance practices and levels and serve as a foundation to devise comprehensive and holistic strategies to effectively ensure the attainment of an effective and efficient Birth Registration (BR) system.

During the assessment of the birth registration system and the bottleneck analysis, a Steering Committee was set up after a thorough analysis of all the stakeholders. The committee is composed of governmental institutions and UN agencies closely associated with the BR system. These key institutions are those that are important and influential in the system and are important to the outcome of the reform process.

The same Steering Committee oversees the entire reform planning exercise and have developed a drafted plan with a multitude of activities to be carried out between 2019-2022 with the goal of carrying out a holistic review of the National Birth Registration system and address the gaps identified in the bottleneck analysis by proposing the change of some existing government processes, while reinforcing good practices.

The plan has been drafted and is currently undertaking implementation through utilizing public funding, and other available external resources that are offered through the support of UNHCR, UNICEF and other stakeholders.

This commitment corresponds to recommendation “6.90. Continue and expand the current efforts to make birth registration more accessible and efficient (Guyana)” of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Thirty-first session, Geneva, 5–16 November 2018. [Year of Completion 2022]

The Government of Belize hereby commits: Belize is party to both conventions on statelessness and acknowledges the recommendation on the adoption of a comprehensive internal legislation establishing a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons. Statelessness in Belize is not perceived, however, as a major issue.

Belize has a birth coverage rate of 96%. Furthermore, the Belizean Constitution guarantees through the Immigration Act that any individual born in Belize, notwithstanding the immigration status of the parents, is automatically a Belizean; and any individual born in any jurisdiction or any undefined jurisdiction, having one parent as a Belizean, is automatically deemed to be a Belizean by descent. Considering this, it is a rare occurrence that a Belizean should remain stateless. This notwithstanding, there may be instances of statelessness along the border communities of Belize. In this regard, Belize commits to undertake a gap analysis on the national level to determine the scale of the challenge of statelessness in Belize, and further establish an appropriate mechanism to guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons in Belize. This would be a necessary step in determining the need for possible legislative review with a view to making appropriate amendments.

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation of a stateless person and the current legal gap of a concrete structure on statelessness, Belize identifies this as a pragmatic approach in the work toward combating statelessness.

This commitment corresponds to recommendation “6.97. Adopt national legislation on statelessness, in particular regarding a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons (Mexico)” and recommendation “6.98. Adopt comprehensive legislation establishing a statelessness determination procedure to identify and guarantee the rights and protection of stateless persons (Serbia)”, of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Thirty-first session, Geneva, 5–16 November 2018. [Y.o.C. 2024]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness

The Government of the Republic of Colombia hereby commits to promote the monitoring of the implementation measures adopted for the prevention of statelessness in the case of children born in Colombia of Venezuelan parents. [Year of Completion: 2020]

The Government of the Republic of Colombia hereby commits: Once the Migration Law is enacted, through its regulations an administrative procedure will be established to determine the stateless condition. [Y.o.C. -]

To promote before the Congress of the Republic the process of the Bill whereby the Colombian State’s comprehensive migration policy is established, and which includes a legal framework on statelessness. [Y.o.C. -]

UNHCR High-Level Segment on Statelessness 

The Costa Rican Government undertakes to reduce the time for the resolution of applications to determine the status as a stateless person. [Year of Completion 2020]

The Government of Costa Rica commits to make periodic visits to areas of the country where a high incidence of possible cases of statelessness or persons at risk of statelessness are identified. During these visits, consultations will be attended, requests may be submitted to start the statelessness determination procedure and interviews will be conducted in the places. This to facilitate access to the procedure for everyone, especially for vulnerable population or have difficulty traveling to the capital. [Y.o.C 2020]

The Government of Costa Rica hereby commits to make the necessary modifications to the Regulation for the Statelessness Determination Process, Executive Decree 39620-RE-G, the Migration Regulation, Executive Decree 36769-G, and the General Law on Migration and Foreigners Regulation, Executive Decree 19010-G, in order to formally include statelessness regulations, specifically so that stateless persons and applicants for the condition have the chance to request an identification document and a travel document that allows them to leave, travel and enter the country freely. [Y.o.C 2021]

The Government of Costa Rica hereby commits to generate mechanisms for durable solutions that guarantee the integration of stateless persons. The Costa Rican Government commits to provide accompaniment, follow-up and legal advice to stateless persons declared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, to guarantee that the access to the necessary information is correct and help them to eradicate their status as a stateless person. This accompaniment will consist of providing the corresponding information about the options that are available so that they can make an informed decision about the process of naturalisation or permanent residence that are available. They will also be provided with institutional and legal advice and also support to carry out procedures before governmental instances. The Government of Costa Rica commits to create and provide informative documents about the process of naturalisation and permanent residence. A database will be created, containing the information of all the persons declared stateless, to periodically monitor their integration process. [Y.o.C 2020]

The Costa Rican Government undertakes to reinforce the mechanisms for the registration of all births in the country, increasing efforts for the registration of births in border areas, indigenous territories and rural areas with difficult access. The Costa Rican Government commits to ensure the presence of workers who will directly assist the population in the field, specifically in the rural areas of the northern border, through the mechanism “Model of differentiated care for the prevention of statelessness in indigenous areas and borders”. [Y.o.C 2020]