Edwin, stateless, 16 years old, Malaysia ©UNHCR/ R. Arnold
The problem of childhood statelessness
A child without any nationality can face a lifetime of discrimination. Statelessness can profoundly affect the ability of children to access education and adequate healthcare, and to fulfill their ambitions and dreams for the future. Preventing and ending childhood statelessness is the best way to stop the spread of the problem. Ensuring that no child is left stateless will lead to better enjoyment of human rights by individuals and improved development outcomes for communities and States.
Wildana, formerly stateless, 18 years old, Dominican Republic © UNHCR/ M. Redondo
Objectives of the Coalition
The Coalition aims to develop, expand and strengthen international co-operation to raise awareness about and combat the hidden problem of childhood statelessness. It also aims to promote the right of every child to acquire a nationality. The Coalition seeks to engage in activities that will help to:
- Ensure that no child is born stateless
- Eliminate laws and practices that deny children nationality on discriminatory grounds
- Remove gender discrimination from nationality laws
- Improve birth registration to prevent statelessness
- Encourage States to accede to the UN Statelessness Conventions
Annick (left), 13 years old, stateless, Côte d’Ivoire ©UNHCR/ A. Froger
Coalition Members
Advisory Committee:
The Coalition and its Advisory Committee will be co-led by UNHCR and UNICEF. In 2017, the Coalition Advisory Committee will be made up of:
Plan International
Norwegian Refugee Council
The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights
Lawyers for Human Rights (South Africa)
Center for Human Rights at the Diego Portales University (Chile)
The Advisory Committee will meet with UNICEF and UNHCR on a quarterly basis to provide input on the Coalition’s strategic direction, to plan the Coalition’s activities and to monitor progress.
Members:
The Coalition relies on support from international organizations and civil society groups at the global, regional and national levels that are working towards the Coalition’s goals. Current Coalition members are:
United Nations
- International Organization for Migration
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- United Nations Development Programme
- UN Women
Civil Society
- Almanar Voluntary Organization (Sudan)
- Arakan Project (Myanmar/ Thailand)
- Central Asian Network (Central Asia)
- College voor de Rechten van de Mens (Netherlands)
- Croix Rouge du Burundi (Burundi)
- East Africa Civil Society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF-Kenya chapter)
- European Network on Statelessness (Europe)
- Focus Development Association (Madagascar)
- Global Aid Hand (Sudan)
- Haki Centre (Kenya)
- Haki na Sheria Initiative (Kenya)
- Halina Niec Legal Aid Centre (Poland)
- International Rescue Committee (UK)
- Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (Global)
- Living Values Education International (Nigeria)
- Minority Rights Group (Global)
- Nagari Foundation (Nigeria)
- Namati (Global)
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Global)
- Organisation pour la Réduction de l’Apatridie (Côte d’Ivoire)
- People’s Legal Aid Centre (Sudan)
- Probono.org (South Africa)
- Refugio de la Ninez (Guatemala)
- Right to a State (Benin)
- Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (South Africa)
- Statelessness Network Asia Pacific (Asia)
- The Life Skills Development Foundation (Thailand)
- Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (Zimbabwe)
Join the Coalition
If you are an international, regional or local NGO working on issues that could help to achieve the goals of the Coalition, please apply to become a member. Members will be informed periodically about activities and initiatives organized by the Coalition and receive updates on the Coalition’s progress. Please complete and submit this form if your organization would like to join the Coalition.
Resources
- (*new) Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality | Presentation (PDF)
- UNHCR, “I Am Here, I Belong: The Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness”
- UNHCR “The Global Action Plan to End Statelessness”
- UNHCR, “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, “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, Videos on childhood statelessness: Malaysia, Georgia, Thailand, Lebanon
- UN General Assembly, Report of the Secretary-General on Childhood Statelessness
- (*new) Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality Flyer
- (*new) CRC | Convention on the Rights of the Child – Quick Reference Guide
- UNHCR and Plan International, “Under the Radar and Under Protected: The Urgent Need to Address Stateless Children’s Rights”
- UN General Assembly,”The Convention on Rights of the Child”
- UN General Assembly,”The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness”
- UN General Assembly,”The 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons”
- UNICEF “Uprooted: The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children”