Topic: Rights of Stateless Persons
Country: Argentina
Delegate Name: Marina Cox
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Argentina position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
There are 10 million stateless people around the world; these are people who are “not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law.” Stateless people worldwide face many challenges, and they remain a very vulnerable population. They are often not granted access to health care, an education, a bank account, property, and even rights in the criminal justice system. One may become stateless in many ways including state succession, war, discrimination, and refuge. This issue violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states, “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her nationality nor denied the right to change his or her nationality,” and, “everyone has the right to a nationality.” The UN must address this situation and determine what obligations states have to stateless people, and what can be done to provide necessary services to this helpless population.
Argentina, along with 88 other countries, signed the 1954 Convention. This Convention seeks to ensure stateless people receive equal treatment as nationals. It also guarantees that states issue documents to identify stateless people and form a process by which they can become citizens. Argentina, however, has not acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. This convention defied their legal agreements, but we would love to work to reduce statelessness through a similar document. In regards to stateless refugees, Argentina promised to welcome 3,000 Syrian refugees into their country. They are the first country to partner with the European Union to solve this major worldwide issue. Argentina has additionally facilitated an open, human-rights based migration policy which benefits and supports refugees with special protection needs. That is to say, they set a criteria for refugees that may be resettled in Argentina. This criteria includes, but is not limited to, women at risk, those with job profiles, and survivors of violence seeking physical or legal protection. Argentina, a main destination for migrants and the stateless, tries to ensure that everyone will work and benefit the country in return. As Argentina is a country of immigration, this topic greatly influences our economy and the success of our state.
Argentina recognizes the complexity of this issue, yet they are firm in their belief that a resolution must be reached to help stateless people worldwide receive the services they need. We believe that the 1954 Convention should be adopted by all members of the UN to globally reduce the number of suffering stateless people. A more specific document, similar to the 1961 Convention, should also be created to determine who is stateless, and build upon the foundation that the 1954 Convention has laid.
