Legal Framework

Ratification of Conventions

The right to nationality is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the 1968 American Convention on Human Rights. 

Moreover, two UN Conventions deal specifically with statelessness:

Antigua & Barbuda

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1894 by Succession  

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Argentina

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1972 by Accession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2014 by Accession 

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: Yes

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Bahamas

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Barbados

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1972 by Succession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Belize

Ratificación of the 1954 Convention: YES, 2006 by Accession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2015 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Bolivia

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1983 by Accession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 1983 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: No

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Brazil

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 1996 Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2007 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES (Contained in the new Migration Law approved by Federal Senate on April 18, 2017 and implemented on November, 2017)

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: YES, the new Migration Law (approved by Federal Senate on April 18, 2017 and implemented on November, 2017) contains several provisions on statelessness.

To review the text of the the new Migration Law click here

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Canada

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 1978 Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Chile

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 2018 by Accession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2018 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Colombia

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 2019 by Accession.

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2014 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: Yes

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Costa Rica

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 1977 by Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 1977 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES, created and adopted in 2016 by Executive Decree. To consult the text of the Decree click here. 

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: YES

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

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Cuba

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Dominica

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Dominican Republic

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO, 1961 Signatory

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

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Ecuador

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 1970 by Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2012 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES, adopted in 2017 through the issuance of the new Migration Law. To read the text of the new Migration Law click here.

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: Yes, contained in the new Migration Law. To read the text of the new Migration Law click here.

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

El Salvador

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 2015 by Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

French Guyana

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Grenada

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Guatemala

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 2000 Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2001 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Guyana

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Haiti

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 2018 by Accession

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2018 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

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Honduras

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES, 1954 Signatory and 2012 Ratification

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2012 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO, draft law has been presented to Congress and is currently being discussed.

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Jamaica

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES, 2013 by Accession

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Existence of any other legal provision concerning statelessness: N/A

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Mexico

Ratification de la Convención de 1954: Yes yes. (1 de junio de 2000) Al momento de la adhesión, se hicieron tres reservas relativas a: 1) Derechos laborales de las personas apátridas, 2) Expulsión de apátridas de territorio mexicano. Y 3) Facilidades de naturalización para personas apátridas.

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Nicaragua

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (July 15, 2013)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES (July 29, 2013)

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Panama

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (June 2, 2011)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES (June 2, 2011)

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

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Paraguay

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (July 1, 2014)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES (June 6, 2012)

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: YES, in the new stataless persons Law (approved by Legislative Power on September 19, 2018).

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Peru

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (April 27, 1999)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Saint Lucia

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Suriname

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

Trinidad and Tobago

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (April 11, 1966)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No

United States of America

Signature and Ratification of the 1954 Convention: No

Signature and Ratification of the 1961 Convention: No

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

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Uruguay

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: YES (April 2, 2004)

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: YES (September 21, 2001)

Existence of a statelessness determination procedure: Yes

Pledges I Belong Campaign: Yes. Read more

Venezuela

Ratification of the 1954 Convention: NO

Ratification of the 1961 Convention: NO

Pledges I Belong Campaign: No