Key international developments

and UNHCR’s Global Campaign

Inge Sturkenboom, UNHCRDublin 21 October 2014

Two old conventions

• 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons

• 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness

• Relevance today?

Closer to home?

Developments

•2011 ministerial meeting: 22 pledges by European countries

Developments: accessions

As of today: 83 State Parties to the 1954 Convention (Ukraine, Portugal, Moldova, Bulgaria, Georgia since Dec 2011)

61 State Parties to the 1961 Convention (Lithuania, Ukraine, Portugal, Moldova, Montenegro, Belgium, Georgia)

Developments: prevention and reduction

• Nationality legislation reform Latvia, Russian Federation, Georgia, Belgium …

• Civil registration and documentationSoutheast Europe

An example

Video testimony

Developments: identification and protection• Statelessness determination procedures (SDP)

- France, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Georgia, UK ..- To come: NL, Belgium, Armenia, Kosovo, Turkey ..

• How do we support? - Legislation Kosovo, Armenia, Moldova, UK etc

- Work visits Central Europe, Armenia, Japan etc

- Tools UNHCR Handbook on Protection of Stateless Persons; UNHCR advocacy brochure; ENS Guide on SDPs

- Awareness raising and training Armenia, NL, Poland, Slovakia etc

Some figures*

France: 1.247 (> 232.000 refugees)Italy: 350 (> 78.000 refugees)Switzerland: 79 (> 52.000 refugees)Hungary: 113 (> 2.000 refugees)

* 2014 UNHCR Global Trends Report

UNHCR Global Campaign to End Statelessness in ten years

Multimedia tools, Special Report on Statelessness

Global Action Plan with 10 action points; call for National Action Plans

Launch 4 November 2014

Thank you for your attention. Questions?