New global report on statelessness

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) recently published their report titled Addressing Statelessness through the Rule of Law. It mainly focuses on statelessness and the right to nationality, on how the rule of law is relevant to addressing statelessness and why the latter matter for sustainable development. Whilst placing emphasis on the importance of a legal identity as set out in Target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals, it is worth highlighting that this report mentions several examples worldwide of the impact of a lack of identity documents on the deprivation of access to a range of other rights. Finally, CHIP welcomes this report as it calls, amongst its recommendations to States and development actors, for the “reform [of] laws, policies, and procedures to ensure equal and meaningful access to birth registration for all, including birth registration through safe and innovative technological solutions”, which would contribute to reducing statelessness amongst children.

Reference: UNHCR and IDLO (2022). Addressing Statelessness through the Rule of Law. Available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/638e1bba4.html