Reem Hariri, a refugee from Syria, mother of 7, holds her baby girl Jury. UNHCR/Pedro Costa Gomes.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the adoption of the Arab Declaration for Belonging and Legal Identity by the League of Arab States (LAS). This Declaration provides a robust framework to respond to challenges posed by conflict, displacement, and statelessness in the region, including through improved access to birth registration, efforts to prevent childhood statelessness and strengthened legal identity rights, especially for women.
The implementation of this Declaration will help support some of the most vulnerable individuals in the Arab Region and builds off significant progress already made. UNHCR appreciates the efforts of the LAS and its members in securing this important step.
This Declaration will be launched at an event UNHCR is organizing in cooperation and coordination with the Social Affairs Sector – Family and Childhood Department at LAS and the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), today, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt. Relevant government Ministries of LAS Member States, representatives from relevant UN agencies and other regional and international organizations will attend the launch event.
Following the adoption, it is anticipated that LAS Member States will identify concrete measures for the implementation of the Declaration, including through strengthened civil registration systems and legal reforms in support of vulnerable persons in the region.
UNHCR is committed to supporting LAS Member States in the implementation of the Declaration, including by providing technical and legal assistance to relevant government interlocutors, including ministries and policymakers, on issues related to civil documentation and legal identity.
UNHCR again acknowledges this important milestone and calls on all LAS Member States to take steps to implement the Declaration, resulting in positive outcomes for affected individuals, communities, and states.
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