Statelessness | Refworld (original) (raw)
In this section
Introduction
Today, millions of people around the world are stateless. A stateless person does not have the nationality of any country. Some people are born stateless, but others become stateless. As a result, they often aren't allowed to go to school, see a doctor, get a job, open a bank account, buy a house or even get married.
Legal Documents Related to Statelessness
Conventions
UN General Assembly
- Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, 28 September 1954
- Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 30 August 1961
International
- Calls for accession to the statelessness conventions by the UN General Assembly and international and regional bodies, UNHCR, July 2013
- Extracts relating to nationality and statelessness from selected universal and regional human rights instruments, UNHCR, November 2009
- Articles on Nationality of Natural Persons in relation to the Succession of States, International Law Commission, 3 April 1999
- Extracts of selected General Comments and Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies relating to nationality and statelessness, UNHCR, November 2009
- General recommendation No. 32 on the gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women, CEDAW, CEDAW/C/GC/32, 5 November 2014
- United Nations General Assembly Resolutions of particular relevance to statelessness and nationality, updated 16 May 2014
- Human Rights Council resolutions relating to nationality and statelessness (from 2006)
- Commission on Human Rights resolutions on arbitrary deprivation of nationality (until 2006)
- Compilation of recommendations relating to statelessness made during the first cycle (1st - 12th sessions) of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, UNHCR, 11 July 2013
- Compilation of recommendations relating to statelessness made during the Second Cycle (13th - 16th sessions) of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, UNHCR, 11 July 2013
- Statement on Parliamentary Action in Support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Refugee Protection, IPU, 20 April 2011
Regional
Africa
- Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Relating to the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa, African Union, 18 February 2024
- Action Plan of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on the eradication of statelessness 2017-2024, ICGLR, January 2020 (also available in Arabic, French, & Portuguese)
- Declaration of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Member States on the Eradication of Statelessness, 16 October 2017 (also available in Arabic, French, & Portuguese)
- Banjul Plan of Action of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Eradication of Statelessness 2017 – 2024, ECOWAS, 2017 (also available in French & Portuguese)
- Joint Statement of the ECOWAS Ministers responsible for nationality matters on the Ministerial Meeting for the Validation and Adoption of the Banjul Plan of Action to Eradicate Statelessness in the ECOWAS Region, ECOWAS, 9 May 2017 (also available in French & Portuguese)
- Abidjan Declaration of Ministers of ECOWAS Member States on Eradication of Statelessness, UNHCR & ECOWAS, 25 February 2015 (also available in French & Portuguese)
- Conclusion and Recommendations of the Ministerial Conference on Statelessness in the ECOWAS Region, UNHCR & ECOWAS, 25 February 2015 (also available in French)
- General Comment on Article 6 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, 16 April 2014 (also available in French)
- Banjul Appeal on Statelessness, UNHCR, 6 December 2013
- Resolution on the Right to Nationality, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, 23 April 2013
- Recommendations of the African Union Symposium on "Citizenship in Africa: Preventing Statelessness, Preventing Conflicts", African Union, 24 October 2012
Americas
- Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action: A Framework for Cooperation and Regional Solidarity to Strengthen the International Protection of Refugees, Displaced and Stateless Persons in Latinn America and the Caribbean , 3 December 2014 (also available in French, Spanish & Portuguese)
- Organization of America States: Resolutions on Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons in the Americas, 2010-2014
Asia
- Joint Conclusions of the 2nd Regional Conference on the Right to Legal Identity and Prevention of Statelessness: Leaving No One Behind at Birth, UNHCR, 5-6 September 2019
- Joint Conclusions to Prevent Statelessness by Birth Registration of All Children Born in the Countries of Central Asia, 8 June 2018
Europe
- European Convention on Nationality, Council of Europe, 6 November 1997
- Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in Relation to State Succession, Council of Europe, 15 March 2006
- European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 on human rights and migration in third countries, European Union: European Parliament, 25 October 2016
- Conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on Statelessness, European Union: Council of the European Union, 4 December 2015
- Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the Avoidance and Reduction of Statelessness, Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers
- Resolutions, Recommendations and Reports on nationality, Council of Europe: Parliamentary Assembly
Middle East and North Africa
- Arab Declaration on Belonging and Legal Identity, League of Arab States, 28 February 2018 (also available in Arabic)
- First Arab Conference on Good Practices & Regional Opportunities to Strengthen Women's Nationality Rights, Secretariat General, League of Arab States, 1-2 October 2017 - Final Declaration 2 October 2017
Statelessness Policy and Doctrine
- Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0, UNHCR, 2 October 2024
- Guidelines on Statelessness No. 5: Loss and Deprivation of Nationality under Articles 5-9 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, UNHCR, May 2020
- Handbook on Protection of Stateless Persons, UNHCR, 30 June 2014
- Guidelines on Statelessness No. 4: Ensuring Every Child's Right to Acquire a Nationality through Articles 1-4 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, UNHCR, 21 December 2012
- Expert Meeting - The Concept of Stateless Persons under International Law ("Prato Conclusions"), UNHCR, May 2010
- Expert Meeting - Statelessness Determination Procedures and the Status of Stateless Persons ("Geneva Conclusions"), UNHCR, December 2010
- Expert Meeting - Interpreting the 1961 Statelessness Convention and Preventing Statelessness among Children: ("Dakar Conclusions"), UNHCR, September 2011
- Expert Meeting - Interpreting the 1961 Statelessness Convention and Avoiding Statelessness resulting from Loss and Deprivation of Nationality ("Tunis Conclusions"), UNHCR, March 2014
- Guidance Note of the Secretary General: The United Nations and Statelessness, UN Secretary-General, November 2018
- Key Messages on Statelessness, UN Secretary-General, November 2018
- Human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality: report of the Secretary-General, UN Human Rights Council, December 2009
- Human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality: report of the Secretary-General , UN Human Rights Council, December 2011
- Human rights and arbitrary deprivation of nationality: report of the Secretary-General , UN Human Rights Council, 19 December 2013
- Report on discrimination against women on nationality related matters, including the impact on children : Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR, 15 March 2013
- UNHCR and De Facto Statelessness, UNHCR, April 2010
- Resettlement of Non-Refugee Stateless Persons - Extract from the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 2011, UNHCR, July 2011
- Climate Change and Statelessness: An Overview, UNHCR, May 2009
- Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. Its History and Interpretation, commentary by Nehemiah Robinson (Institute of Jewish Affairs, World Jewish Congress), 1955 (re-printed by the Division of International Protection, 1997)
UNHCR ExCom and Standing Committee
ExCom
- No. 111 (LXIV) - 2013, Civil Registration, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 17 October 2013 (also available in French)
- No. 106 (LVI) - 2006, Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 6 October 2006 (also available in French)
- No. 78 (XLVI) - 1995, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 20 October 1995 (also available in French)
- Other Executive Committee Conclusions related to Statelessness, updated July 2010
- All Notes and Progress reports on UNHCR's statelessness activities
- Extracts relating to UNHCR's supervisory responsibility for the statelessness conventions
Standing Committee
- 69th meeting, Update on Statelessness, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 7 June 2017
- 63rd meeting, Update on statelessness, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 3 June 2015
- 57th meeting, Note on statelessness, Executive Committee on the High Commissioner´s Programme, 4 June 2013
Spotlights on Statelessness 2025 -
#IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness 2014-2024
- The #IBelong Campaign: A Decade of Action to End Statelessness, 2014-2024, UNHCR, October 2024
- UNHCR Statelessness Policy Brief | Refworld, UNHCR, August 2024
- #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness: Accelerating Action in the Final Two Years of the Campaign, UNHCR , November 2022
- High-Level Segment on Statelessness: Results and Highlights, May 2020
- "This is Our Home" Stateless Minorities and their Search for Citizenship, UNHCR, 3 November 2017
- Statelessness and the Rohingya Crisis, UNHCR, 10 November 2017
- I Am Here, I Belong: The Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness, UNHCR, 3 November 2015 (also available in French & Spanish)
- Special Report – Ending Statelessness, 4 November 2014 (also available in French & Spanish)
- Campaign Website
- List of 1954 Convention States Parties & 1961 Convention States Parties & Map of States parties to the 1954 & 1961 Conventions
- Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on Refugees and Stateless Persons - Pledges 2011, October 2012
<#IBelong> Campaign Updates
- October-December 2024
- July-September 2024
- April-June 2024
- January-March 2024
- October-December 2023
- July-September 2023
- April-June 2023
- January-March 2023
- October-December 2022
- July-September 2022
- April-June 2022
- January-March 2022
- October – December 2021
- July – September 2021
- April 2021 - June 2021
- January 2021 - March 2021
- October 2020 - December 2020
- July 2020 - September 2020
- April 2020 - June 2020
- January 2020 - March 2020
- October 2019 - December 2019
- July - October 2019
- April - June 2019
- January - March 2019
- October – December 2018
- July 2018
- April 2018
- December 2017
- October 2017
- July 2017
- April 2017
- December 2016
- October 2016
- July 2016
- April 2016
- December 2015
- September 2015
- May 2015
- January 2015
Good Practices Papers
- Action 1: Resolving Existing Major Situations of Statelessness, UNHCR, 16 August 2022
- Action 2: Ensuring that no child is born stateless, UNHCR, 20 March 2017
- Action 3: Removing Gender Discrimination from Nationality Laws, March 2015
- Action 6: Establishing Statelessness Determination Procedures to Protect Stateless Persons, UNHCR, July 2020
- Action 7: Ensuring birth registration for the prevention of statelessness, UNHCR, November 2017
- Action 9: Acceding to the UN Statelessness Conventions, UNHCR, 28 April 2015
Campaign Website
Thematic resources
- Litigating the Right to a Nationality: A Guide for Practitioners November 2024, UNHCR, November 2024
- Addressing Statelessness through the Rule of Law, UNHCR & the IDLO, December 2022
- International Art Contest: Minority Artists Working on Statelessness Themes, Exhibition Catalogue, UNHCR and OHCHR, November 2022
- Statelessness and Climate Change Factsheet, UNHCR, October 2021
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Stateless Populations: Policy recommendations and good practices on vaccine access and civil registration, June 2021
- Quick Guides: Researching Statelessness, UNHCR, March 2021
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Stateless Populations: Policy Recommendations and Good Practices, UNHCR, 11May 2020
- Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, note by the Secretary-General, A/73/205, UN General Assembly, 20 July 2018
- The Sustainable Development Goals and Addressing Statelessness, UNHCR, March 2017 (also available in French)
- Kenya Dialogue on Gender Equality, Nationality and Statelessness, UNHCR & the Kenya Human Rights Commission, 23 March 2015
- First Global Forum on Statelessness: New Directions in Research and Policy Key Outcomes, UNHCR, 6 October 2014
- A Regional Dialogue on Gender Equality, Nationality and Statelessness : Overview and Key Findings, UNHCR & CRTD, January 2012
- Refugee Status, Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality, and Statelessness within the Context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, UNHCR, October 2014
- Climate Change and the Risk of Statelessness: The Situation of Low-lying Island States, UNHCR, 10 May 2011
Background Notes
- On Gender Equality, Nationality Laws and Statelessness UNHCR - 2025, UNHCR, March 2025
- On Discrimination in Nationality Laws and Statelessness UNHCR - 2021, UNHCR, October 2021
- On Sex Discrimination in Birth Registration UNHCR & UNICEF - 2021, UNHCR and UNICEF, July 2021
Country and Region Specific Situations
Africa
- The Transformative Power of Citizenship: Findings from the 2024 Socioeconomic Study of the Shona Community in Kenya, UNHCR, the World Bank and the Immigration Policy Lab, December 2024
- Risk of Statelessness in West and Central Africa, UNHCR, November 2023 (also available in French & Portuguese)
- Refugees from Generation to Generation: Preventing Statelessness by Advancing Durable Solutions in the Great Lakes Region, UNHCR, April 2023
- Etude sur l'Apatridie et le risque d'Apatridie en République du Niger, UNHCR, April 2023
- Statelessness and its Risk in Angola and for Angolans Living Abroad, UNHCR, December 2022
- Birth Registration and Statelessness in the Member States of the Southern Africa Development Community, UNHCR, December 2022
- Southern African Development Community Road map on the eradication of statelessness 2022 - 2024, Southern African Development Community, August 2022
- Citizenship and Statelessness in the Horn of Africa, UNHCR, December 2021
- Understanding the Socioeconomic Conditions of the Stateless Shona Community in Kenya: Results from the 2019 Socioeconomic Survey, UNHCR and the World Bank, 2020
- Citizenship and Statelessness in the Member States of the Southern African Development Community, UNHCR, December 2020
- Les risques d’apatridie au Mali et pour les Maliens vivant à l’étranger, UNHCR, August 2020
- N'Djamena Initiative on the Eradication of Statelessness in Central Africa, UNHCR and CEMAC, December 2018
- Statelessness and Citizenship in the East African Community, UNHCR, September 2018
- A Study of Statelessness in South Sudan, UNHCR, 2017
- Statelessness and Nationality in Côte d'Ivoire - A Study for UNHCR, UNHCR, December 2016
- Citizenship Law in Africa: A Comparative Study, Open Society Foundations (OSF), January 2016
- Communiqué of the West Africa Consultative Conference on 'the Right to a Nationality and Statelessness: Challenges and Opportunities', 28-30 September 2015, UNHCR & OSIWA, 30 September 2015
- Nationality, Migration and Statelessness in West Africa, UNHCR & OIM, June 2015
- Summary of the Ministerial regional conference on statelessness in West Africa, 23-25 February 2015, UNHCR & ECOWAS, February 2015
- The Right to Nationality in Africa, African Commission on Human and People's Rights, May 2014
- Statelessness in Southern Africa, UNHCR, 2012
- Sudan Citizenship Symposium - Keynote Address by Ms. Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner - Protection, UNHCR, November 2010
Americas
- Representing Stateless Persons Before U.S. Immigration Authorities, UNHCR, August 2017
- Compatibility of the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons with Canada's Legal Framework and its International Human Rights Obligations, UNHCR 2015
- Statelessness in the Canadian Context: An updated discussion paper, UNHCR, March 2012
- Citizens of Nowhere: Solutions for the Stateless in the US, UNHCR, December 2012
Asia
- Ending Statelessness Together, UNHCR, June 2025
- Republic of Korea: Comparative Study on Statelessness Determination Procedures, Executive Summary, UNHCR, December 2021
- Mapping Statelessness in the Republic of Korea, UNHCR, December 2021
- Philippines: Policy Briefs on Identified Legislative Priorities, UNHCR, October 2021
- Philippines: Desk Review on Populations at Risk of Statelessness, UNHCR, April 2021
- Typology of Stateless Persons in Japan, UNHCR, December 2017
- Concluding Statement of the Fifth High-Level Steering Meeting On the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic, UNHCR, November 2014
- Report of the ASEAN Regional Workshop on Statelessness and the Rights of Women and Children, UNHCR & ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, 19 November 2011
- Small Changes - Big Gains: An Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic, UNHCR, 2010
- Regional Expert Roundtable on Good Practices for the Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and the Protection of Stateless Persons in South East Asia, 2 March 2011
- Good Practices: Addressing Statelessness in South East Asia, UNHCR, 5 February 2011
- Statelessness in Central Asia, UNHCR, May 2011
- Overview of Statelessness: International and Japanese Context, UNHCR, April 2010
- A Place to Call Home: The Situation of Stateless Persons in the Kyrgyz Republic, UNHCR, 2009
- Note on the Nationality Status of the Urdu-speaking Community in Bangladesh, UNHCR, 17 December 2009
Europe
- Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness - Good Practices in the OSCE Area, UNHCR & OSCE, July 2025
- Serbia: Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia, UNHCR, November 2020
- Faces of Statelessness in the Czech Republic, UNHCR, December 2020
- Statelessness Determination in the UK, UNHCR, December 2020
- Mapping Statelessness in Denmark, UNHCR, November 2020
- Analysis of the Legal Framework Concerning Stateless Persons and Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Croatia, UNHCR, July 2020
- Mapping Statelessness in Poland, UNHCR, September 2019
- Résumé et recommandations: L'apatridie en Suisse, UNHCR, November 2018
- Mapping of the Population at Risk of Statelessness in Albania, UNHCR, May 2018
- Faces of Statelessness in Europe, UNHCR, March 2018
- Estonia: Mapping Statelessness in Estonia, UNHCR, 2016
- UK: Statelessness and applications for leave to remain: a best practice guide, Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, November 2016
- Mapping Statelessness in Austria, UNHCR, January 2017
- Persons at risk of statelessness in Serbia: Progress Report 2010-2015, UNHCR, June 2016
- Mapping Statelessness in Lithuania, UNHCR, May 2016
- Mapping Statelessness in Norway, UNHCR, October 2015
- Mapping Statelessness in Iceland, UNHCR, December 2014
- Mapping Statelessness in Finland, UNHCR, November 2014
- Mapping Statelessness in Malta, UNHCR, August 2014
- Scoping Paper: Statelessness in Ireland, UNHCR, October 2014
- No Child Should be Stateless, European Network on Statelessness, European Network on Statelessness, September 2015
- The Invisible Stateless Persons in Poland - Executive Summary, The Halina Niec Legal Aid Center, December 2013
- Mapping Statelessness in Belgium - Summary Report, UNHCR, October 2012
- Mapping Statelessness in the United Kingdom, UNHCR, November 2011
- Mapping Statelessness in the Netherlands, UNHCR, November 2011
- Report on Statelessness in South Eastern Europe, UNHCR, September 2011
- Hungary: Statelessness in Hungary: The Protection of Stateless Persons and the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness, Hungarian Helsinki Committee, December 2010
Middle East and North Africa
- Mapping and understanding statelessness in Akkar, UNHCR, December 2021
- In Search of Solutions: Addressing Statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa, UNHCR, 2016
- Meeting Report: Regional Expert Meeting on the Human Rights of Stateless Persons in the Middle East and North Africa (Amman, 18-19 February 2010), UNHCR and OHCHR, November 2010
Other
Tools
- A Community-Based Practitioner's Guide: Documenting Citizenship and Other Forms of Legal Identity, Open Society Justice Initiative and Namati, June 2018
- ICERD Quick Reference Guide: Statelessness and Human Rights Treaties, UNHCR & ICERD, July 2017
- Stateless Persons in Detention: A tool for their identification and enhanced protection, UNHCR, June 2017
- CEDAW Quick Reference Guide: Statelessness and Human Rights Treaties, UNHCR & the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, April 2017
- CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child: Quick Reference Guide - Statelessness and Human Rights Treaties, UNHCR & UNICEF, January 2017
- ICCPR International Covenant on Civil And Political Rights: Quick Reference Guide - Statelessness and Human Rights Treaties, UNHCR, October 2016
- What is Statelessness?, UNHCR, 2016
- UNHCR Action to Address Statelessness: A Strategy Note, March 2010
- Good practices in nationality laws for the prevention and reduction of statelessness: Handbook for Parliamentarians N° 29, UNHCR/Inter-Parliamentary Union, November 2018
- Nationality and Statelessness: Handbook for Parliamentarians N° 22, UNHCR and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 23 November 2018 (also available in French)
- Ensuring the right of all children to acquire a nationality: Connecting the Dots between the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, UNHCR, 23 August 2013
- Children and Statelessness: Information Package, UNHCR, 23 August 2013
- Under the Radar and Under Protected: The Urgent Need to Address Stateless Children's Rights, UNHCR, June 2012
- Statelessness determination procedures, Identifying and protecting stateless persons, UNHCR, August 2014
- Self-Study Module on Statelessness, UNHCR, 1 October 2012
- Statelessness: An Analytical Framework for Prevention, Reduction and Protection, UNHCR, 2008
- Protecting the Rights of Stateless Persons: The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, UNHCR, March 2014
- Preventing and Reducing Statelessness: The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, UNHCR, March 2014
- A Guide to Teaching on Statelessness, UNHCR, September 2010
- Statelessness Determination and the Protection Status of Stateless Persons, European Network on Statelessness, 2013