Botswana takes steps to accede to landmark treaties on human rights and statelessness

GABORONE: The United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Botswana, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), hosted a three-day consultation on the country’s accession to two landmark international treaties; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

The three-day consultation brought together senior government officials, civil society representatives, legal experts, and UN entities to examine the legal and policy implications of joining these treaties. Participants emphasized that accession would align Botswana’s national laws with international standards and reduce the risk of statelessness, particularly among vulnerable populations.

“Discussing both the ICESCR and the 1961 Convention simultaneously acknowledges the holistic nature of human dignity,” said Wenyan Yang, the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) in Botswana. “Accession will strengthen Botswana’s international credibility and leadership in Sustainable Development Goals implementation, enabling better monitoring, reporting, and access to global partnerships and technical support. The RC also reinforced that accension will also further boost Botswana’s standing as a regional leader in governance and rights.

The ICESCR guarantees access to many socio-economic rights including education, health, water and sanitation, food, housing, decent work, and social security without discrimination. Abigail Noko, UN Human Rights Regional Representative for Southern Africa, described accession as a transformative step for Botswana’s development agenda. “Acceding to the ICESCR will strengthen our collective efforts to ensure that people can enjoy education, health, decent work, and an adequate standard of living, without discrimination or exclusion,” she said. “This consultation has shown that the path toward accession is both achievable and transformative.”

The 1961 Convention obliges States to prevent statelessness by establishing safeguards in nationality laws, especially for children. Jesus Sanchez, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer, highlighted Botswana’s progress, citing reforms such as the 1995 amendment ending gender discrimination in citizenship law and the 2024 Citizenship Amendment Act, which improved protections for foundlings and streamlined nationality procedures.

Nationality is often considered as "the right to have rights" because it often provides the legal basis for an individual to claim other fundamental rights, such as the right to vote, access to education and healthcare, and legal protection from the state,” Sanchez said. “By taking these progressive steps on statelessness, Botswana has reaffirmed that no person within its sphere is left without the essential legal foundation for a life of dignity.”

The consultation has provided a framework and a pathway for making accession of both instruments achievable. This includes the announcement that a Cabinet Memorandum has been transmitted for formal consideration of Botswana’s accession to the 1961 Convention. The meeting concluded with UNHCR’s formal handover of the Comprehensive Botswana Statelessness Study to Mr. Moagi, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. The study outlines recommendations for aligning national legislation with international standards and ensuring no one in Botswana is left without nationality. OHCHR also committed to continue to accompany the Government of Botswana and other stakeholders on the follow-up actions that emanated from the consultation.

As Botswana moves towards possible accession, stakeholders emphasized that this process is not merely legal, but it is a reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to equality, inclusion, and human dignity. Botswana stands poised to join a growing community of nations committed to reducing statelessness and guaranteeing economic, social, and cultural rights for all.

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For more information, please contact:

• (UNHRC in Gaborone) Nchidzi Smarts, [email protected], +267 363 3725
• (OHCHR in Pretoria) Krivani Pillay [email protected], +27 12 354 8690
• (UNHCR in Pretoria) Jan De Bisschop l [email protected], +27 83 700 2267