Ad Hoc Committee on Statelessness and Related Problems, Draft Paragraphs for Inclusion in Report on the Question of Elimination of Statelessness Proposed by the Chairman
Ad Hoc Committee on Statelessness and Related Problems, Draft Paragraphs for Inclusion in Report on the Question of Elimination of Statelessness Proposed by the Chairman
E/AC.32/L.36
The Committee, having completed its work on the Draft Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol annexed thereto, relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, turned its attention to "Means of the Elimination of Statelessness including the desirability of Requesting the International Law Commission to Prepare a Study and Make Recommendations on the Subject".
It discussed the responsibilities of various organs of the United Nations in regard to this problem, including the International Law Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women, having in mind the avoidance of overlapping of activities in the same field.
It reviewed the basic causes of statelessness, including
(a) the acquisition of nationality by children at birth;
(b) the loss of nationality through marriage and dissolution of marriage;
(c) the problem of voluntary renunciation of nationality; and
(d) the deprivation of persons of their nationality as the result of the actions of Governments.
As a result of these deliberations, the Committee recommends to the Economic and Social Council a draft resolution along the following lines:
"The Economic and Social Council calls upon Member States to review their national legislation with a view to reducing cases of statelessness so far as possible, and in particular in regard to the application of laws which govern the acquisition of nationality at birth, and those which deprive persons of their nationality. In addition, it invites Member States to consider the possibility of reducing statelessness by extending naturalization to stateless persons in their territory."
The Committee further recommends that it is desirable to conclude a comprehensive Convention for the purpose of eliminating statelessness, and that the International Law Commission be requested to prepare such a Convention at the earliest possible date.