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On 25 July 2025, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) unveiled a joint publication titled Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness. Good Practices in the OSCE Area. The launch event in Vienna brought together OSCE participating States, civil society, and international organizations to spotlight legal and policy measures aimed at ending childhood statelessness.
Globally, millions remain stateless—one third of them children—facing barriers to education, healthcare, housing, and social inclusion. The publication outlines practical steps governments can take to prevent statelessness at birth, including universal birth registration and nationality law reforms.
“Statelessness is a silent crisis. It denies children access to basic services, isolates them from society, and undermines their future,” said Ambassador Vesa Häkkinen, Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council.
Speakers emphasized the need for legislative and administrative reforms, especially for national minorities, whose exclusion can fuel long-term grievances. HCNM Christophe Kamp noted that statelessness undermines social cohesion, while ODIHR Director Maria Telalian stressed the importance of granting legal identity to empower children and strengthen communities.
UNHCR Regional Director Philippe Leclerc called on states to ensure every child is registered at birth and protected by safeguards in nationality laws. The publication builds on the organizations’ joint pledge at the Global Refugee Forum (2023) and their participation in the Global Alliance to End Statelessness (2024).
The event also featured Armando Augello Cupi, founder of Unione Italiana Apolidi, who shared his personal experience of growing up stateless and advocated for rights-based systems to prevent statelessness from birth.
You can access the full publication via the OSCE’s official website.
