UNHCR logo
  • Donate
  • Sign up to support
UNHCR logo
  • Search
  • Thailand
  • Menu

Select a language for this section:

English ไทย

Select a language for our global site:

English Français Español عربي
Select a country site:
  • Donate
  • Sign up to support
  • Media Centre
  • Contact Us

Share

Facebook Twitter
  • Who we are
    • UNHCR in Thailand
    • The 1951 Refugee Convention
    • Who we help
    • Figure at a Glance
    • Prominent Supporters
  • What we do
    • Protection
    • Solutions
    • Basic Needs Support
    • Education
    • Environment, Disasters and Climate Change
    • Private Sector Partnerships
  • Emergencies
    • Afghanistan Situation
    • Chad Emergency
    • Coronavirus outbreak
    • Ethiopia Emergency
    • Rohingya Emergency
    • Myanmar Situation
    • South Sudan Emergency
    • Syria Emergency
    • Venezuela Situation
    • Yemen Emergency
  • News and Stories
    • News Releases
    • Stories
    • Newsletters
    • Annual Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Donate Online
    • Face-to-face fundraising
    • Tele-Fundraising
    • Events
    • Donors: UNHCR Family
    • Private Partnerships and Philanthropy
    • Leading Women Fund
    • UNHCR Event Location Supporters
    • Sign up to Support
    • Work with UNHCR
Search UNHCR
Close Search
 
  • Home

Asia governments commit to take further action to tackle statelessness at regional meeting in Bangkok

The commitments were made during a two-day meeting in Bangkok, hosted by UNHCR and supported by Royal Thai Government.

31 May 2019

UNHCR

Asia governments commit to take further action to tackle statelessness at regional meeting in Bangkok.

Asia governments commit to take further action to tackle statelessness at regional meeting in Bangkok

Government officials from countries in the Asia and Pacific region have made commitments to take further steps aimed at preventing and reducing statelessness. The commitments were made during a two-day meeting in Bangkok, hosted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and supported by Royal Thai Government.

The event, which brought together officials from 16 governments, was a chance for states to review progress already made, share best practices and successes, including cross-border collaborations, and discuss challenges and initiatives being undertaken.

A number of states committed to taking specific steps, including measures to achieve universal birth registration and targeting hard-to-reach populations. Others said they would be tackling legal reforms, especially on issues related to childhood statelessness.

“One of the key things that I was inspired by today was that several states have said that they will not allow children on their territory to be stateless any more”, said UNHCR’s Special Advisor on Statelessness, Carol Batchelor, who attended the event.

The Bangkok meeting comes almost halfway through UNHCR’s 10-year #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness and a few months before a high level global meeting on ending statelessness, to be held in Geneva in October.

One of the speakers included a formerly stateless teenager, 18 year old Namphung Panya, who received Thai citizenship just a few weeks earlier.  “It was one of the proudest moments of my life”, said the teenager, who was able, a few days later, to travel to the United States to compete in a student science and engineering fair.  She is also now  able to attend university.

Over the last five years, tens of thousands of people in Asia, who formerly had no nationality, have been granted citizenship due to concerted efforts by governments.

People who are not formally recognised as a national of any State under the operation of its laws are considered stateless. Being denied a legal identity causes suffering from cradle to grave.

People who are stateless are often denied basic rights.  They can face great difficulties accessing education, health care and job opportunities all through life.  In some cases, they are not able to register marriages, move freely, own property, or work.  They may even be denied an official burial and a death certificate.

Newsnote:

For more information about UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/

Media contacts:
In Bangkok:  Caroline Gluck, [email protected], +66 81 827 0280

Jennifer Harrison, [email protected], +66 822 908 831

UNHCR
UNHCR
UNHCR
UNHCR

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

 

See also

UNHCR lauds Philippines’ accession to 1961 statelessness convention

No longer stateless, a young football enthusiast finds his voice

UNHCR urges governments to accelerate progress and resolve plight of world’s stateless

  • Who we are
  • What we do
  • Emergencies
  • News and Stories
  • Get Involved

© UNHCR 2001-2022

  • Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
  • Follow