NFA moved into a new office 

Date: April 2023

NFA moved into a new office located in Kalika Mandir Marg, near Sanepa Chowk. Location of the new office here.

 

NFA organized a retreat for the ICG of the Global Movement on Statelessness

Date: April 25-28, 2023

NFA organized a four-day retreat from 25-28 April 2023 for the Interim Core Group of the Global Movement on Statelessness. The retreat was a valuable experience, as the group had previously worked together in a virtual setting for two years, and this was their first in-person meeting. Collaboratively, the group established a set of values and principles for the movement’s future, while also engaging in productive discussions on key topics such as fundraising strategies and risk management. The retreat was filled with lively conversations, laughter, and meaningful discussions that laid a strong foundation for the movement’s future. The group is eager to move forward with the valuable insights gained from the retreat.

 

 

UPR Submission on Bangladesh

Date: April 5, 2023

NFA in collaboration with ISI, GCENR, Namati, Council of Minorities, Free Rohingya Coalition, and Rohingya Human Rights Initiative made a UPR Submission on Bangladesh on nationality rights to the Human Rights Council.

 

 

Strategic Planning Workshop of CAPN

NFA and CAPN co-organized a strategic planning workshop to plan CAPN’s activities and priorities for the next year. NFA’s ED, Subin Mulmi facilitated the two-day workshop and helped draft the action plan for the year.

 

 

Training of Trainers on citizenship rights in Nepal

Date: April 22 and 23, 2023

NFA supported CAPN to organize a two-day residential training of trainers on citizenship rights in Nepal. The event was attended by affected persons from 7 districts of Nepal. NFA’s Executive Director also took a session on ‘Human rights advocacy and nationality rights’.

 

 

NFA organized a strategic meeting and advocacy workshop 

Date: May 1-3, 2023

 

NFA organized a strategic planning meeting and advocacy workshop from 1-3 May 2023 for its partners. Together, participants forged stronger relationships. Through meticulous planning, they identify long-term and short-term goals, charting a course for success, while resource and capacity management strategies ensure the effective execution of their mission. The three-day planning and advocacy workshop was driven by solidarity, collaboration, and a relentless commitment to empowering human rights advocacy.

 

 

NFA launched the SEAP Report 

Date: May 4, 2023

On May 4, 2023, NFA unveiled the much-anticipated SEAP (Statelessness Encyclopedia Asia Pacific) report during the Civil Society Organization (CSO) consultation.

The launch of the SEAP report stands to provide information on the laws, population, stakeholders, and causes of statelessness to help address the needs and challenges faced by stateless individuals in the region. This initiative, meticulously crafted over an extensive period of research, analysis, and collaboration, encapsulates valuable insights, strategies, and recommendations aimed at eradicating statelessness and advocating for the rights of those affected.

The CSO consultation served as an ideal platform for engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, governmental bodies, international institutions, and stateless communities themselves. Through this inclusive and participatory process, the SEAP report garnered invaluable feedback, allowing for a holistic and comprehensive approach in tackling the complex issues surrounding statelessness.

 

 

NFA organized a CSO consultation to form a regional coalition 

Date: May 4-5, 2023

 

On May 4 and 5, 2023, NFA organized a CSO Consultation in Kathmandu, Nepal to form a Regional Coalition on Statelessness in the Asia Pacific. The process of forming the coalition began on November 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand, where 12 organizations were invited based on their expressed interest in the coalition. In this consultation participants discussed the principles and values for the coalition; the potential names of the Coalition; and the structure of the Coalition.

After much discussion, three working groups were formed – Name, Principles, and Values Working Group (NPVWG), Structure Working Group (SWG), and Activities Working Group (AWG) to discuss their respective issues and reconvene on June 22, 2023, virtually.

 

 

 

Online convening for affected mothers (safe space)

Date: May 16, 2023

 

NFA helped organize the online convening for affected mothers organized by GCENR CBWG. The convening was attended by affected mothers from Nepal, Malaysia, and the MENA region. The aim of the convening was to create a safe space for affected mothers to build solidarity and support. 

 

 

Participation in the Meeting of the Global Alliance Taskforce

Date: May 23 and 24, 2023

NFA’s ED, Subin Mulmi participated in the in-person meeting of the Taskforce of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness in London. The Taskforce discussed the next steps of the formation of the Global Alliance.

 

 

Rights Con 2023

NFA organized and facilitated the session on “Ensuring inclusive digital IDs in the Asia Pacific” at Rights Con 2023, at Costa Rica.

The discussion was aimed at sharing the role played by technology in the humanitarian space today, and specifically to understand its impact on statelessness. Asia Pacific, which hosts the largest number of the stateless population, is an important region due to its continuing deterioration of the involvement of CSOs in the development of Digital ID systems.

NFA invited CSO’s from 3 different jurisdictions, Pakistan, Nepal, and Malaysia, to discuss various strategies that stakeholders have used to to engage with governments and private bodies to protect privacy, bring further transparency and accountability in design and implementation of Digital ID systems. The discussion was centred around implementation of human rights based design standards by sharing risks, challenges, and best practices faced by CSO’s in their respective jurisdictions.

 

 

Participation in the ‘Addressing Statelessness in Europe’ Conference

NFA’s ED, Subin Mulmi participated in the conference organized by the European Network on Statelessness on ‘Addressing Statelessness in Europe’ in Madrid, Spain. The conference focused on increased participation of stateless changemakers and the need for multi-stakeholder engagement on addressing statelessness. The outcomes of the conference can be found here.

 

NFA attended the Global Summit on Achieving Gender-Equal Nationality Rights

Date: June 13-16, 2023

NFA’s Research Coordinator, Shuchi Purohit participated in the Global Summit on Achieving Gender Equal Nationality Rights, which took place on June 13, 2023. The summit, organized by the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights (GCENR) in partnership with UNICEF, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, and UN Women, brought together stakeholders from diverse sectors and regions to address gender inequality in nationality laws. Government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, experts, activists, and advocates dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s rights were in attendance.

Following the summit, the GCENR held the Global Civil Society Workshop from June 14-16. This workshop served as a platform for civil society leaders from different regions to collaborate and devise strategies for advancing gender-equal nationality rights. Discussions, presentations, and interactive

sessions were conducted to identify challenges, share best practices, and develop action plans to achieve gender equality in nationality laws on a global scale.

These events demonstrated a collective commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring equal nationality rights for all individuals, regardless of gender. By fostering collaboration and inclusivity among diverse stakeholders, the summit and workshop aimed to generate tangible outcomes and drive positive change in the realm of gender equality and nationality rights.

 

 

Bilateral meetings in Geneva

NFA’s ED, Subin Mulmi met with the missions of Thailand and the Philippines in Geneva to discuss the progress of the countries in addressing statelessness and on their plans on the Global Refugee Forum. Subin along with colleagues from ISI, GCENR and Equality Now also met with the core group members of the Human Rights Council Resolution on nationality rights and shared their collective comments on the zero draft of the Resolution.

 

Jenna’s Farewell

Date: June 23, 2023

NFA bid goodbye to our Research fellow Jenna Biedscheid.

 

 

Informal consultations on the Human Rights Council Resolution on Nationality Rights

Date: June 28, 2023

NFA’s ED, Subin Mulmi participated in the informal consultations on the Human Rights Council Resolution on Nationality Rights as part of the HRC session representing the civil society organizations. The civil society coalition that NFA is a part of, shared our concerns on the draft and submitted written comments after the consultation.