Excellences. Invited Guests. Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let me start by thanking the organizers of this important ministerial conference on statelessness for extending invitation to the African Union Commission (AUC).
It is indeed an honour for the AUC to participate in this ministerial conference co-organized by the Government of Kenya, the secretariat of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICLGR) and UNHCR.
On behalf of the AUC, allow me also to express our gratitude and thanks to the Government and people of the Republic of Kenya for the hospitality afforded to us.
Eradicating statelessness is a major preoccupation and concern to the African Union (AU). There are estimated hundreds of thousands stateless persons in Africa. The consequences of lack or loss of nationality to individuals concerned is quite devastating. Stateless persons or those who are at the risk of statelessness face invisibility, limited access to social services and a narrower path to a dignified livelihood and self-actualization.
Unless risks to statelessness are fully and effectively addressed we will not be able to realize the full potentials of Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want! Access to nationality is core to achieving human dignity and addressing barriers to access to services and economic wellbeing.
The causes of statelessness can be multiple: conflicts of law, state succession and discriminatory practices. At the AU we do not see statelessness just as a human rights issue. It is a much broader and complex challenges touching on development, economic integration and peace and security issues as well. Regularizing the status of stateless person is in the interest of countries which do not want to see any one left behind in their economic and social policies. Contested nationality has also been source of political violence and crisis in some parts of the continent. The prevention and eradication of statelessness can contribute to the collective effort of nation-building and the strengthening of peace and security on the continent. Of course more fundamentally statelessness is contrary to human dignity as enshrined in regional and international instruments. Our collective response to address this challenge must therefore be equally comprehensive, broad and multi-dimensional.