Turkmenistan has a firm political will and determination to completely eradicate statelessness by 202. This statement came from the Chairman of the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan Nazar Atagarayev, speaking at the general debate of 73rd session of the UNHCR Executive Committee, which is being held in Geneva from 10 to 14 October 2022.
Atagarayev’s remarks focused on Turkmenistan’s commitment to creating safe, legal and reliable migration, which is included in today’s basic requirements of the Sustainable Development Program.
The head of the Migration Service spoke about the achievements of Turkmenistan within the framework of its obligations to combat statelessness.
Firstly, procedures for determining the status of stateless persons have been improved at the legal level.
Secondly, the pilot phases of the census-22 and electronic registration of civil status acts in certain regions have been completed and their general launch is at the start.
Thirdly, universal birth registration is guaranteed in Turkmenistan.
Fourth, the country has launched a system for updating the registration of stateless persons and comprehensive statistics.
As the speaker recalled, Turkmenistan granted citizenship to 1,530 stateless persons in September of this year. In total, during the period 2005-2022, 29,697 stateless persons gained Turkmenistan citizenship.
“Turkmenistan, in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will focus its efforts on further resolving the situation with statelessness in order to completely eradicate and prevent it in the future,” Atagarayev said, highlighting the country’s openness to constructive international partnership that meets the goals of universal well-being.
At the same time, the delegation of Turkmenistan reiterated the country’s position that the practical implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the results of the Global Forum are inextricably linked with the realization of the Ashgabat Declaration adopted in 2012 at the international Conference on the refugee problem.
Ashgabat continues to call on the international community to multiply efforts in support of stateless persons and refugees according to its national capabilities and priorities.
In conclusion, the representative of Turkmenistan stressed that constructive interaction and exchange of best practices during international dialogues will encourage the implementation of the UN Global Campaign “I#BELONG” and the realization of the mechanisms envisaged in the Global Treaty on Refugees.
Commenting on the speech of the Turkmen delegation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees thanked Turkmenistan for its efforts to eliminate statelessness and expressed confidence that the country’s experience will become an example for other states and that such humane initiatives will be continued.
The Executive Committee of the UNCHR meets in Geneva annually to review and approve the agency’s programmes and budget, advise on international protection and discuss a range of other issues with UNHCR and intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. ///nCa, 11 October 2022