April 2025, World: New comprehensive report on child statelessness and access to education

The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) has recently published a report, which explores the range of challenges and obstacles faced by stateless children in pursuit of education. The report reflects on the disparity between international human rights standards calling for education for all children and the situation of exclusion faced by children in situations of lack of citizenship. Whilst it sets out an overview of these obstacles, including in some specific countries, it also offers promising approaches, lessons learned and a call for action.

The report offers a reminder of the impact of non-compliance with an element of the right to identity – the right to acquire a nationality (Art. 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child) – on the enjoyment of other rights, in this case on access to education. In this regard, CHIP has raised awareness as to this situation and is currently working with UNICEF in several countries in Africa to promote catch-up birth registration processes in school, therefore contributing to ensuring a legal identity for all children and continuity in schooling.

See: Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, Leaving No Child Behind: Childhood statelessness and the fight for inclusive education, ISI, 2025, https://files.institutesi.org/Leaving_No_Child_Behind_Report.pdf?mc_cid=13f55882e5&mc_eid=3f563b33ae. See also: “Protecting Futures: Addressing lack of access to education for children without legal identity”, Webinar held on 28 November 2023, https://www.child-identity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CHIP-awareness-month-symposium.pdf.