A stateless person is someone who is not considered a national of any country. Nationality, however, is a prerequisite for the enjoyment of the full range of human rights. The rights to citizenship and nationality are essential for an individual to participate fully in a society, wherever he or she lives.
At least twelve million people in the world are estimated to be stateless people, spread across every continent. When statelessness ultimately leads to human rights violations, stateless people experience vulnerability and inhumane treatment, including unequal access to basic human services, unfair treatment in the workplace, lack of legal recourse, and human trafficking.
The 50th meeting of the CCIA decided for the first time to focus on the rights of stateless people in the coming years. An international consultation organized by the CCIA in early 2013 in Washington, D.C., assessed the situation of stateless people and ecumenical advocacy strategies for the future. This booklet includes the detailed report of the Washington consultation as well as papers and report presented at the Consultation.