What is the main problem the project is seeking to address? Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, thousands of individuals remain stateless, lacking legal nationality and the rights derived from it. Despite the fact that several GCC states have acceded to key international human rights treaties—such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)— implementation gaps persist. Stateless persons continue to face barriers to education, employment, healthcare, and legal recognition. The problem is compounded by a lack of reliable data, weak national accountability frameworks, and limited engagement with international reporting mechanisms. While global frameworks such as the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for inclusive and equal societies, progress in the Gulf remains slow and fragmented. Moreover, most GCC countries have not yet acceded to the UN Statelessness Conventions, and information about the status or treatment of stateless populations remains scarce. Civil society organizations face challenges in accessing official data or submitting reports to UN treaty bodies. This lack of transparency and accountability perpetuates systemic exclusion and undermines the right to nationality. The project therefore seeks to strengthen international accountability by documenting the situation, coordinating regional civil society efforts, and submitting periodic reports to UN human rights bodies to support reform and recognition of nationality rights for all.

What is the main change the project seeks to achieve? The project seeks to achieve a significant shift in international accountability and visibility regarding statelessness in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. While thousands of individuals in the region remain without nationality, limited data, weak institutional monitoring, and low engagement with UN mechanisms have prevented meaningful reform. The desired change is to establish a sustained, evidence-based accountability framework that compels GCC states to comply with their international obligations under human rights treaties such as the ICCPR, CEDAW, and CRC. The project will achieve this through three core strategies: Monitoring and Documentation: Collect and analyze data on statelessness, legal frameworks, and policy gaps across GCC states. International Reporting and Advocacy: Prepare and submit periodic and shadow reports to UN treaty bodies, accompanied by policy briefs and recommendations. Public Knowledge Platform: Launch a digital platform that maps each GCC country’s treaty commitments, reporting timelines, and related documentation to promote transparency and informed advocacy. The project’s significance lies in strengthening the link between regional realities and global mechanisms. By amplifying credible information through international processes, it will increase political and legal pressure for reform, while empowering Gulf civil society organizations to participate effectively in UN reporting systems. The expected impact is improved recognition and protection of stateless persons’ rights, greater inclusion of affected communities in national dialogues, and a concrete step toward the eventual accession of GCC states to the UN Statelessness Conventions.

Who are the key partners? Bahrain Forum for Human Rights

Who is the target population for this project? PrimaryThe project targets multiple interconnected groups directly and indirectly affected by statelessness in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The primary target group consists of stateless persons and communities in the GCC — individuals denied nationality and the associated rights to education, healthcare, employment, and legal recognition. These include long-term residents, children born to stateless parents, and individuals affected by genderdiscriminatory or politically restrictive nationality laws. The secondary target group includes civil society organizations, human rights defenders, legal practitioners, and journalists who play a critical role in documenting, reporting, and advocating for reform. The project will build their capacity to use international mechanisms, such as UN treaty bodies, Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and the Global Compact on Refugees and Statelessness frameworks. At the institutional level, the project will also engage UN agencies, diplomatic missions, and academic institutions in Geneva to ensure sustained international attention to the issue and to foster policy dialogue with GCC states. By strengthening collaboration between grassroots actors and international mechanisms, the project will create a bridge that amplifies the voices of stateless communities and supports regional accountability. The expected long-term impact is an empowered civil society able to influence policy and promote the gradual recognition and protection of stateless persons’ rights across the GCC.

Funding and costs What is the total cost of this project?100,000 USD