Kyrgyzstan Moves to Join International Convention on Stateless Persons

Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Digital Development has opened public discussion on the draft law “On Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.”

The bill was prepared in fulfillment of the instruction of the Presidential Administration in order to prevent statelessness, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kyrgyz media.

According to the document, the 1954 Convention is the basis of the international regime of protection of stateless persons. It defines stateless persons, facilitates the establishment of legal identification of such persons and requires that their fundamental rights and freedoms be ensured without discrimination of any kind.

Accession to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1954) has several advantages that may be important both from the perspective of international law and for the protection of human rights. Accession confirms a state's commitment to international human rights and migration law standards. At the same time, the 1954 Convention sets minimum standards for the protection of the rights of stateless persons (access to education, health care, employment, etc.).

A state that accedes to the Convention undertakes to grant stateless persons a certain legal status, providing them with basic rights and protection from discrimination. The State demonstrates a commitment to the protection of the most vulnerable groups, which is important from the point of view of compliance with international humanitarian law and principles of justice.

In 2019, the Kyrgyz Republic became the first country in the world to resolve all known cases of statelessness, ensuring universal birth registration and harmonizing its legislation with international standards.

However, despite the fact that all identified cases of statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic have been resolved, work to prevent the emergence of new cases of statelessness continues.

Accession to the Convention implies the implementation of a number of measures aimed at eradicating statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic, which will help to reduce the number of stateless persons (stateless persons) and persons with undetermined citizenship by establishing a procedure for determining the status of stateless persons at the legislative level.