UNICEF and UNHCR Sign Letter of Understanding to Enhance Support for Refugee and Stateless Children and Women in Tajikistan

© UNICEF/ Daler Dodojonov

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Dushanbe, Tajikistan – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have signed a new Letter of Understanding (LoU) to expand their efforts in protecting and improving the lives of refugee and stateless children and women in Tajikistan.

Through this partnership, the two organizations will work together to ensure access to education, healthcare, and legal identity papers for thousands of children and families. Their joint focus on issues such as birth registration and youth empowerment aims to create a safer, more inclusive future for all refugee and stateless people in the country.

This partnership focuses on five key areas of cooperation:

1. Promotion of Access to Services to ensure refugee and stateless children and women have access to essential services, including education, civil documentation, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child protection, social protection, and naturalization.
2. Joint advocacy for Universal Birth Registration to ensure every child has the right to an identity and nationality.
3. Law Reform and Implementation to safeguard the rights, including legislative changes to ensure that children who would otherwise be stateless are granted nationality, such as those born on the territory, children born to nationals abroad, foundlings, and children born to undocumented parents.
4. Advocacy and Awareness-Raising on key issues affecting refugee and stateless children and women, ensuring that their voices are heard, and their needs are addressed.
5. Economic Empowerment and Youth Participation leveraging existing resources to promote skills development for economic empowerment, employment, and participation of young people.

UNICEF and UNHCR have been working together in Tajikistan since 1996 on initiatives in support of refugees and displaced populations. The collaboration between the agencies focuses on addressing the needs of children and families in situations of displacement and ensuring that children’s rights are respected in humanitarian contexts.

“This renewed collaboration between UNICEF and UNHCR reinforces our shared commitment to protecting the most vulnerable—refugee and stateless children and women.”

“This renewed collaboration between UNICEF and UNHCR reinforces our shared commitment to protecting the most vulnerable – refugee and stateless children and women. Together, we are not only addressing their immediate needs but also laying the foundation for a future where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and security,” said Ivan Saleyeu, Head of UNHCR National Office Tajikistan.

“The collaboration between UNICEF and UNHCR under the previous Letter of Understanding has provided an impressive number of over 10,000 children ‘left behind’ by migrant parents with essential identity documents. This remarkable achievement underscores the vital importance of our joint efforts to uphold children’s rights, particularly their right to registration as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,” remarked Mr. Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Country Representation at the signing ceremony in Dushanbe today.

This renewed LoU marks a long-term collaboration and joint commitment to protect and promote the rights of refugee and stateless children and women in Tajikistan. By working together, the two organizations aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.

As of mid-2024, Tajikistan hosts 10,381 refugees and asylum-seekers, and 3,629 known stateless people. Most stateless people are former citizens of the Soviet Union, or their descendants, who have not yet confirmed citizenship of the independent States. Without nationality, stateless people have difficulties accessing basic rights and services, including education, healthcare, and employment.

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• Muhammadkhuja Davlyatov, Assistant Communications Officer – [email protected] 

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