Engaging Parliamentarians In Efforts To End Childhood Statelessness

Kuala Lumpur, 19 March 2019 - Voice of the Children today briefed Parliamentarians on the causes of childhood statelessness, and its far-reaching impact and consequences on families, especially children.

This was held in Parliament today, in conjunction with the Malaysia launch of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Handbook on Good Practices in Nationality Laws for the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness. The Handbook was launched by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law & Parliamentary Affairs), Datuk Liew Vui Keong.

“A stateless person is someone who does not have a nationality from any country, nor all the rights, benefits, and protection that nationality offers,” said Sharmila Sekaran, Founder of child rights advocacy group, Voice of the Children (VOC).

Statelessness affects millions of people around the world. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency estimates that every ten minutes, a stateless child is born somewhere in the world. In Malaysia, the full extent of statelessness is still unknown. However the impact of statelessness, especially on children, is significant and life-altering.

“Stateless children have limited access to education and healthcare. They are not eligible for welfare assistance. Without any citizenship, their potential and prospects are heavily curtailed and they are at risk of abuse and exploitation.”

By acquiring a nationality, stateless people could gain full access to their human rights and enjoy a sense of belonging in their communities.

Voice of the Children acknowledged the importance of developing partnerships with Parliamentarians as they were crucial in shaping the policies of the nation.

“Parliamentarians, in their capacity as lawmakers, have a vital role to play in affecting legal and policy reforms that can end statelessness,” said Sharmila.

“As representatives of their constituencies, Parliamentarians are well-placed to speak and advocate on behalf of their communities, some of whom may be affected by statelessness.”

The event was organised with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Malaysia.

With a view to boosting the capacity of parliaments and legislators’ to effectively prevent and reduce statelessness and identify and protect stateless persons, UNHCR in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), produced the IPU Handbook on statelessness. This was globally launched in 2018.

It promotes good practices in nationality laws that all States are encouraged to consider, and offers practical examples of domestic legal provisions which can help States to avoid childhood statelessness entirely. The Handbook serves as a guide to Members of Parliament, offering practical examples of domestic legal provisions that allow States, among others, to eliminate gender discrimination from nationality laws, to establish procedures to identify stateless persons and facilitate their naturalization, and to ensure that any deprivation or loss of nationality does not leave individuals stateless.

About Voice of the Children:

Founded in 2009, Voice of the Children (Co. No. 830794-V) is a children’s advocacy group.  Our mission is to advocate for and promote law and policy reform to ensure that every child in Malaysia is protected and is no longer at risk of violation.

We recognize that the welfare and protection of every child in Malaysia can only be realized through the adoption, implementation and enforcement of the Convention of the Right of the Child in Malaysia.

We therefore work to raise public awareness on all issues affecting children while supporting the Government to ensure the welfare and protection of all children in Malaysia.

About UNHCR:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We deliver life-saving assistance like shelter, food and water, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality.

Note on Statelessness figures:

Statelessness affects millions of people around the world. Some countries have hundreds of thousands of stateless persons and there is no region of the world that is untouched by statelessness. The very nature of statelessness means it is difficult to determine exactly how many people are affected, or at risk. Data on statelessness are captured by governments and reported to UNHCR. In 2017, approximately 70 countries reported 3.9 million stateless individuals. But UNHCR estimates that this is only a fraction of the total – the true number could be three times higher.

Note on the #IBelong Campaign to end statelessness

On 4 November 2014, UNHCR launched its #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024. Statelessness is a man-made problem and relatively easy to resolve and prevent. With the necessary political will and public support, millions of people around the world could acquire a nationality and prevent their children from being born stateless. The #IBelong Campaign is supported by a Global Action Plan , which sets out concrete steps for States to help resolve the problem. By acquiring a nationality, millions of stateless people around the world could gain full access to their human rights and enjoy a sense of belonging in their communities. In 2019 the Campaign will mark its mid-point and UNHCR will hold an event to showcase achievements and to collect pledges by states to prevent and eradicate statelessness. For more information please go to: http://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/

For press queries, contact:

Sharmila Sekaran, Voice of the Children

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +6019 233 0087