The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Global Alliance for Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) are jointly organising a virtual roundtable to explore the potential of increased cooperation between national human rights institutions and UNHCR in preventing and responding to statelessness. The event draws on the Guidance on UNHCR’s Engagement with NHRIs, which suggests practical ways in which UNHCR can increase cooperation with NHRIs, and several past webinars aimed at increasing engagement between UNHCR and NHRIs.  

The virtual roundtable will focus on the importance of the right to a nationality for the enjoyment of other human rights and the role of NHRIs in addressing statelessness. It will be an opportunity to share good practice with respect to NHRIs working on statelessness and cooperation between UNHCR and NHRIs at the national level. The roundtable will also allow NHRIs and UNHCR colleagues to discuss key challenges faced by NHRIs in working on statelessness and explore opportunities for further collaboration at the national level.  

Objectives, inputs and expected outcomes  

The overall objectives of the event are to (1) raise awareness about statelessness as a human rights issue affecting people’s ability to access other human rights; (2) increase the interest of NHRIs to address statelessness and (3) enhance NHRIs’ capacity to identify opportunities for addressing statelessness in their specific context.  

Leading up to the event, UNHCR and GANHRI will record two short “coffee chats” (e.g., collaborating to end statelessness) to draw attention to the role of NHRIs in preventing and reducing statelessness and protecting stateless persons.

A concrete outcome of the event will be a brief report documenting the good practices shared and recommendations emanating from the discussions during the event. The report and the coffee chats will be shared with GANHRI’s members and UNHCR regional offices and selected country operations.  

Agenda