UNHCR Launches Global Alliance to End Statelessness

The UNHCR launched the Global Alliance to End Statelessness as a multistakeholder initiative aimed at addressing the issue of statelessness, which affects millions of individuals worldwide. This initiative was introduced during the annual Executive Committee meeting in Geneva and succeeded the #IBelong campaign, which had a ten-year goal to end statelessness. The #IBelong campaign focused on resolving existing cases of statelessness, preventing new occurrences, and enhancing the identification and protection of stateless individuals. Through this campaign, hundreds of thousands of people were able to acquire or confirm their nationality, and various states took steps to strengthen their nationality laws. The Global Alliance aims to build on the progress made during the #IBelong campaign by creating a collaborative platform that includes governments, stateless-led organizations, UN agencies, civil society, and academia. This platform is designed to accelerate solutions to statelessness through legal reform, nationality solutions, and enhanced protection measures. The initiative recognizes the importance of a coordinated approach to tackle the complex challenges associated with statelessness, which can lead to significant human rights violations and hinder access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and employment. By fostering partnerships and encouraging shared responsibility among stakeholders, the Global Alliance seeks to create a more inclusive society where everyone has the right to a nationality.