#I (still don’t) belong. A case study on Kyrgyzstan: the sole state to complete the UN global action plan to end statelessness (2014 - 2024)

Abstract

Citizens form the body of a country, fulfilling duties and responsibilities, while the state, in turn, protects them and grants them access to rights. Statelessness occurs when an individual does not have the citizenship of any country, and is therefore deprived of exercising their fundamental human rights. Due to the invisibility of stateless persons in government registration and data collection, the exact number of affected individuals is unknown; however, estimates range from four to ten million people worldwide. The United Nations’ Global Action Plan to End Statelessness (GAP) and the #IBelong campaign were launched in 2014 with the hope of eradicating all known cases of statelessness worldwide by 2024. While the plan has not reached its goal of net zero cases, it has raised awareness and increased efforts amongst various actors to address the issue. In 2019, Kyrgyzstan became the only state in the world to reduce all known cases of statelessness within its borders to zero. However, in 2020, new cases emerged within the state and persist to this day. This paper examines the reasons behind Kyrgyzstan’s initial success, identifies the most effective strategies for ending statelessness, and demonstrates their applicability to other countries facing the same issues. It finds that political will, NGO involvement, and regional organizations have played a critical role in addressing statelessness in Kyrgyzstan. Additionally, the research offers recommendations for the UNHCR as it prepares to launch the forthcoming Global Alliance on Statelessness at the end of 2024, which will replace the Global Action Plan. The thesis concludes by recognizing that statelessness is a unique issue that can only be resolved through collaboration between the UNHCR, states, civil society members, NGOs, and stateless persons themselves. Together, these actors must work to identify, prevent, reduce, and protect stateless individuals worldwide until they finally receive citizenship and can confidently say #IBelong.