Mobilizing African Civil Society to Advance Ratification & Implementation of the AU Protocol on Nationality and Statelessness

Online Marketplace Project Snapshot

Mobilizing African Civil Society to Advance Ratification & Implementation of the AU Protocol on Nationality and Statelessness

Country/Region Africa

Project Title Mobilizing African Civil Society to Advance Ratification & Implementation of the AU Protocol on Nationality and Statelessness

Lead Organization Lawyers for Human Rights

Total Funding Need 30,000 USD

Project timeframe Less than 6 months

Supported Global Refugee Forum pledge GRF-10360 and GRF-01362

Which of the Sustainable Development Goals will this project contribute to? SDG1: no poverty SDG 10: reduced inequalities; SDG 16: peace, justice, and strong institutions; SDG 17: partnerships for the goals

Which of the Actions specified in the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0, will this project contribute to?

Action 2: Ensure that no child is born stateless
Action 3: Remove gender discrimination from nationality laws
Action 4: Prevent denial, loss, or deprivation of nationality on ethnic, racial, religious, political, and other discriminatory grounds
Action 5: Prevent statelessness in cases of state succession
Action 6: In migratory context, determine statelessness, and protect and facilitate naturalization of stateless persons
Action 7: Ensure birth registration for the prevention of statelessness
Action 8: Issue nationality documentation to those with entitlement to it to prevent statelessness
Action 9: Accede to the un statelessness conventions
Action 11: Ensure stateless persons can enjoy their rights

Reference:
https://www.refworld.org/policy/strategy/unhcr/2024/en/148761

What is the main problem the project is seeking to address? The African Union adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa in February 2024. To date, progress toward its ratification remains limited. Statelessness continues to affect millions across the continent, particularly children, women, and displaced communities. Many CSOs lack the resources, technical tools, and coordinated platforms to meaningfully advocate for treaty ratification, legal reform, or access to documentation. This project addresses that gap by building on the work of South African Network on Statelessness (SANN) to amplify regional coordination, build advocacy capacity, and generate political momentum for ratification. It also seeks to leverage strategic regional advocacy events to raise visibility and foster intergovernmental dialogue on the Protocol and its implementation.

What is the main change the project seeks to achieve? The project aims to catalyse a continental civil society movement around the ratification and implementation of the Protocol, while promoting promoting the ratification or reinforcement of commitments to the UN Statelessness Conventions. The objectives are to: - increase political will for ratification among Member States - equip CSOs with actionable advocacy tools - create space for cross-regional strategy-building Key events include: -A SANN Annual Meeting focused on regional advocacy planning. - A side event at the ACERWC/ACHPR session to officially launch: - a CSO Advocacy Toolkit; - a ratification campaign on the AU Protocol These activities will serve to elevate the urgency of the issue, while anchoring momentum in sustained national and regional action.

Who are the key partners? - Lead: Lawyers for Human Rights (Global Alliance member) - SANN partners in the ratification campaign: Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and Centre for Child Law (CCL) - SANN regional collaborators: East African Nationality Network

Who is the target population for this project? PrimaryAfrican civil society organisations, stateless persons and at-risk populations (children, women, persons with dsiabilities, migrants); Academia; African law and policymakers .

OtherAU bodies: African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; AU States .

Funding and costs What is the total cost of this project?30,000 USD

How much funding is needed?30,000 USD

Why this project needs your support

Members of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness are driving innovative projects around the world, and we invite you to be part of this vital work. This snapshot gives you a brief look at one such initiative that needs your support. By contributing to projects like this, you can help create lasting change, uplift communities, and restore dignity to millions of people. Your involvement is crucial – together, we can turn the tide and build a future where statelessness is a thing of the past.

How to support

To support this initiative, please contact the Global Alliance Secretariat at stalliance@unhcr.org.

Together, we can turn the tide against statelessness and create a world where everyone enjoys their right to a nationality, and can fully contribute to society.

Disclaimer: The listing of snapshots on the Online Marketplace or inclusion in the offline repository, and their pitching to potential donors by the Global Alliance Secretariat, does not represent an endorsement by the Global Alliance, its members, or UNHCR as the Secretariat of the Global Alliance. All due diligence, background checks, and financial or legal accountability considerations are the sole responsibility of the donors concerned and should be conducted in accordance with their own regulations and requirements. The Global Alliance and its Secretariat do not endorse, participate in, or bear any legal or financial responsibility for the funding agreements or their implementation. For clarifications and additional information, please contact the Global Alliance Secretariat at stalliance@unhcr.org