Topic: Rights of Stateless Persons
Country: Uruguay
Delegate Name: Kristin Gustavson
School: Vicksburg High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Uruguay position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The issue of stateless person’s rights being inadequate is still a prominent problem today, even though it could have been solved years ago. People that are stateless struggle to find opportunity to healthcare, education, employment, and freedom of movement. Without these rights, it is very difficult to survive and prosper in this world full of opportunity.
Statelessness occurs when people are either denied or never given a nationality. While some can become stateless in their lifetime, many children are born stateless. This happens because of border changes, living outside of their country for too long, moving from countries in which they were born, and gaps in nationality laws.
Uruguay believes that stateless persons should have the same rights as citizens in the categories of education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement. Uruguay proudly signed the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, allowing people to have the right to a nationality, the safety of their nationality, and the right to change their nationality. Uruguay believes in citizenship by birth, dual citizenship, and citizenship by descent. For those stateless persons that choose to reside in Uruguay, it is required that they have a source of income, an address, and a medical checkup. Since the Convention was signed granting these rights, these stateless persons can become citizens in Uruguay so they can have equal rights and opportunities. Uruguay also worked with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to stateless persons to be safe and successful individuals.
