UNHCR calls for improved access to birth registration to confirm legal identity and prevent statelessness in Ukraine

1 Dec 2023

Kyiv, 30 November: A conference “Birth registration for all in Ukraine: achievements, challenges and solutions” took place in Kyiv to mark the ninth anniversary of the global #IBelong campaign aimed to end statelessness in the world.

Organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its NGO partner The Right to Protection, with support from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the event addressed the important topic of access to birth registration, particularly in the context of the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine.

The war has added significant challenges for parents to access this essential procedure, especially those residing in the areas under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation as well as Ukrainian refugees giving birth and applying for birth certificates abroad.

The event brought together leading experts from international organizations, governmental counterparts and civil society to discuss ways to improve access to birth registration for the most vulnerable groups, including undocumented Roma families. Emphasizing the significance of birth registration as a fundamental human right and a crucial tool in preventing statelessness, UNHCR called for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to ensure that every child born in Ukraine has timely and secure access to birth registration.

“The full-scale war and mass displacement of people have made it more challenging for parents to register their children’s births. It is critical to ensure that every child born in Ukraine, as well as those who are born as refugees outside Ukraine, can confirm their legal identity and be recognized as citizens of Ukraine and access their full rights, so no child is left behind in line