Global Alliance Co-Sponsors side event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum and the launch of Youth Statement for Gender Equality in Nationality Laws
On 16 April, the Global Alliance to End Statelessness co-sponsored a powerful side event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum, alongside Alliance members UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, and the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights. Titled “Mobilizing for Gender-Equal Nationality Laws: For Inclusive, Sustainable Development & Youth Empowerment,” the event marked the official launch of the Youth Statement for Gender Equality in Nationality Laws, now open for signatures.
The event spotlighted the urgent need to reform gender-discriminatory nationality laws, which still exist in over 40 countries. In 24 of these, women are denied the right to pass their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men – often leading to statelessness and a cascade of other rights violations, including lack of access to education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement.
From the outset, panelists emphasized the essential role of youth in demanding legal reform and driving social change. UN Women representative opened by affirming that the right to acquire, retain, and transfer nationality is fundamental to women’s legal personhood and full citizenship. When denied, entire families may be pushed into statelessness and systemic exclusion.
The voices of youth advocates took center stage. Neha Gurung, a formerly stateless youth activist, shared her journey from exclusion to empowerment, describing how discriminatory laws shaped her childhood and inspired her current legal studies and advocacy. Rabih Samra, an activist from Lebanon, traced the country’s gender-discriminatory nationality law back to colonial-era policies, highlighting how they continue to block access to rights and opportunities for stateless youth, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNHCR’s New York Office Director reaffirmed that addressing statelessness is central to the agency’s mandate. He noted recent progress in countries like Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Malaysia, but cautioned that harmful stereotypes and misinformation continue to stall reforms elsewhere. “Nationality is not a drain on public resources – it is a gateway to participation, contribution, and dignity,” he said, stressing the need for sustained advocacy and a multi-stakeholder approach.
The Global Alliance was highlighted as a growing platform for collaboration and collective action. Its members – including youth-led organizations, civil society, and UN partners – are working together through dedicated working groups to dismantle gender-based legal barriers and champion solutions.
The newly launched Youth Statement for Gender Equality in Nationality Laws calls for urgent action to uphold equal nationality rights for all. The Global Alliance encourages everyone – especially young people – to sign and share the statement, amplify the call for reform, and lead the movement for a future free from statelessness and discrimination.
📢 Sign the Youth Statement today and be part of the change.
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.