Global Alliance Hosts Second Townhall
On 23 September 2025, the Global Alliance to End Statelessness held its second Townhall Meeting, bringing together over 80 participants from across the Alliance’s diverse membership – including States, regional and international organizations, civil society and stateless-led groups, and academia. The Townhall provided a space for members to connect, exchange updates, and explore new initiatives advancing the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0.
Melvin Suarez, Chair of the Global Alliance Advisory Committee and State Counsel at the Department of Justice of the Philippines, opened the meeting with a keynote address, urging members to play an active role in shaping the Alliance’s Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) and to keep statelessness prominently on global agendas.
Members then heard updates from the three TWGs on:
- Protecting the Rights of Stateless Persons announced its annual theme on the right to education and upcoming initiatives including a webinar on 4 December.
- Addressing Discrimination in Nationality Laws and Practices shared advocacy efforts on gender-equal nationality rights and plans for testimonies and reform spotlights.
- Ending Childhood Statelessness reported on engagements with UN treaty bodies and upcoming webinars to drive action on every child’s right to a nationality.
The meeting also spotlighted the first Inter-Regional Network Lab, co-organized with the Council of Europe, CLARCIEV and Organization of American States, which convened regional intergovernmental organizations and civil society networks to exchange on solutions to root causes of statelessness.
A major highlight was the launch of the Online Marketplace – a digital platform connecting grassroots, stateless-led and civil society initiatives with potential donors. The pilot phase supported 6 regional civil society networks such as Statelessness and Dignified Citizenship Coalition Asia Pacific (SDCC-AP) and the East African Nationality Network (EANN), helping them strengthen collective efforts and advocacy capacity. The first open call for project snapshots will be launched in October 2025.
The Townhall concluded with an open floor for member updates. Highlights included Malaysia’s historic constitutional amendment granting mothers equal rights to confer nationality – shared by Family Frontiers — and new resources such as the third edition of the Statelessness Encyclopedia Asia Pacific, presented by Nationality for All.
The Global Alliance members were encouraged to continue collective efforts and collaboration ahead of GRF Progress Review and the Global Alliance Annual Meeting in December.
The Townhall recording can be found here (accessible for members of the Global Alliance).
26 October 2026
Two Years On: Looking Ahead with Determination, Unity, and Purpose
As we mark the second anniversary of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, we celebrate this milestone by reflecting on our progress and looking ahead with renewed determination. When the Alliance was launched, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres captured the profound human stakes of our mission with a powerful core vision: “No matter who or where they are, every person belongs.” For millions of people, statelessness remains a barrier to rights, services and dignity. Ending it requires collective action across governments, international organizations, civil society, affected communities and other partners.
Read more22 October 2026
Standing To End Statelessness: A Conversation with ICDH in Haiti on the Frontlines of Human Rights
As the Global Alliance to End Statelessness marks its second anniversary and reaches a powerful network of 200 members strong, we are reminded that tangible progress on addressing and preventing statelessness is possible through our collective action, in particular supporting the most vulnerable and at risk of being left behind. To explore our shared vision and what it truly means to fight for the “right to have rights,” we sat down in a short conversation with Mr. Urbens Wilbert DIEUVEUIL, Director of Initiative Citoyenne pour les Droits de l’Homme, ICDH that proudly stepped forward as the 200th member of the Global Alliance.
Read more21 October 2026
African Human Rights Day: Call for Action on the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa
On African Human Rights Day, as we mark 40 years since the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, we are calling for renewed action to protect the right to a nationality and end statelessness across Africa.
A joint statement led by the Pan African Nationality Network (PANN), the South African Nationality Network (SANN), the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, Lawyers for Human Rights and other partner organizations highlights that nationality is fundamental to human dignity, equality, belonging and full participation in society.