One year Abidjan Declaration Feb2016 ENG by UNHCR in West Africa

The Money Order, a contemporary story 50 years ago, the great Senegalese author Ousmane SembĂ¨ne published The Money Order. The book tells the path of Ibrahima Dieng, a humble man who, like many other families, faces the challenges of everyday life: find a job, feed his family. The postman tells him that he has a money order, money sent from abroad by a relative. A windfall for this father who has trouble making ends meet. He goes to the post office to cash his money order. He is asked to provide an identity card. He does not have one. He then goes to the police station to get an identity card. He is asked to provide a birth certificate. He

does not have one. He goes to the Civil Registrar to get a birth certificate. He is asked to indicate his date of birth. He does not know it. He will not succeed in rectifying his situation. He will then try everything to cash this money order. His vulnerability, his desperation will lead him to trust someone who will cash the money order in his stead and eventually escape with this money. Desperation, powerlessness, vulnerability: this is the fate of people who do not have citizenship or who cannot prove it.

1. Report of the panel: 25th February 2016: It is the first anniversary of the Abidjan Declaration on the eradication of statelessness in West Africa. It is an opportunity to give an update on the progress that has been made in the implementation of this instrument in Senegal and in West Africa. As Senegal currently presides ECOWAS, UNHCR in partnership with the Ministry of Justice organised a panel to discuss the issues and perspectives in the domain of statelessness one year after the Abidjan Declaration.

The Presidency of the Republic, represented by the Minister of regional integration, of NEPAD and of good governance1, has confirmed that the Abidjan Declaration must be considered as the basis in the fight against statelessness in the region. He recalled that the President of the Republic of Senegal is also the current President of ECOWAS, and assured that he will use his mandate to boost the Community’s efforts in the fight against statelessness.

UNHCR welcomed the high level of progress that has been made since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration. It encourages Senegal, in its role as president of ECOWAS, to act as a model in the region in the fight against statelessness.

Penda Mbow, historian and Minister Counsellor noted that the failures of the Civil Registrar contribute to the risks of statelessness in the sub-region. She emphasised that ECOWAS must adopt a sub-regional approach in order to address the problem of people who do not have any proof of their identity and citizenship. Such an approach should take into consideration current concerns of migration and security. Aissatou Cissé, special Advisor to the President of the Republic, stressed the vulnerability of people living with a handicap who often lack a birth certificate and need assistance to start the necessary procedures to establish their civil status. She also stressed the link between security and the risk of statelessness, as a matter of fact, the absence of an identity document make people vulnerable to exploitation and to recruitment by criminal organisations. The national Unit of ECOWAS2 emphasised the relevance of the fight against statelessness in the Community’s strategy because the implementation of an ECOWAS of peoples necessarily requires the eradication of statelessness. The unit recalled its key-role in the implementation of the Abidjan Declaration since it is the intermediary between relevant national authorities and the institutions of ECOWAS. Finally, it recalled the magnitude of the risks of statelessness within ECOWAS because about 25% of the population of ECOWAS member States, i.e. about 75 million people, are not registered with the Civil Registrar. The United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA)3 stressed the security issues linked to the problem of statelessness and welcomes the inclusion by the Abidjan Declaration of the links between statelessness and security in the region. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights4 rrecalled that statelessness is a serious violation of human rights. It also recalled that statelessness causes other violations of fundamental rights such as the right to work or the right to education. It insisted on the

responsibility of States to guarantee human rights to every person within their territory or under their jurisdiction. The Association of women lawyers5 reports that 70% of its beneficiaries cannot prove their identity and citizenship, and face difficulties in changing their situation. Koranic master, Imam Elimane DIAGNE, recalled that up to 150,000 children would be forced to beg on the streets of Senegal and that many of them are separated from their parents and do not have a birth certificate. He stressed the urgent need to provide a better future for talibé children by allowing them to receive documents of civil status when they complete their religious education. Pilot Village6 emphasised that the problem of children separated from their families and communities is an important phenomenon of society. There would be up to 70 000 children on the streets of Dakar, many of whom are no longer in touch with their families and do not possess any birth certificate. More than 80% of the children, looked after by Pilot Village, could not obtain a birth certificate. Without proof of identity, these children and youths face insurmountable problems of social integration (school, sports competition) and professional integration (micro credit, work, salary, etc.). Moreover, it is often impossible to reunite children with parents living abroad since they cannot obtain a passport without proof of their identity and citizenship. Ginddi Centre7 welcomes children in vulnerable situations, for example abandoned children. The majority of these children have no information about their identity. Despite the Centre’s efforts, reconstituting the identity of the children is often impossible. Therefore, it becomes difficult for these children to obtain documents and assert their right to citizenship, in future. For these reasons, the Centre warns that the future of these children is uncertain.

Notes: Khadim Diop, Minister of Regional Integration, of NEPAD and of good governance Babacar Bâ, Deputy Director 3 M. Moudjib Djinadou, Director of political affairs 4 Andréa Ori, regional representative 5 Fatoumata Gueye Ndiaye, President 6 Sophie Faye, assistant/deputy manager of Refuge at Pikine 7 M. Mamadou Kébé 1 2

The Abidjan Declaration

Adopted on 25th February 2015 by the 15 ECOWAS member States, the Abidjan Declaration recognises that statelessness is a major problem in West Africa, and lists 24 concrete measures that the States and ECOWAS should implement in order to put an end to statelessness by 2024.

Mohammed is a young adult. He has neither a birth certificate nor any other identity document. He was born in Guinea Conakry at an unknown date. As a child, he arrived in Senegal and lived on the streets. Two years later, Pilot Village took care of him and offered him training in carpentry and masonry. Mohammed works but he cannot directly receive his salary since he has no bank account. In order to open a bank account, he would need an identity card. Today, an intermediary gets Mohammed’s salary every month and then gives it to him. But for how long can this go on?

Testimony by Mohammed K.

2. Senegalese artists commit themselves to the fight against statelessness

Famous Senegalese group Bidew Boo Bess, Bess sang ‘I belong’, a song on statelessness, declined on a world music rhythm, in English, French, and Wolof. It was the first performance of this song, which was specifically composed for the anniversary of the Abidjan Declaration. Bideew Boo Bess has officially joined the campaign #Ibelong

“Stateless I am, I don’t exist. No, I don’t know who I am...I don’t have any rights. I go wherever the wind blows me, I’ve even lost my faith...” Excerpt from the song “I Belong” - Bideew Boo Bess The international Artist Cheikh Lo wished to lend his voice to the cause against statelessness, recalling that its eradication rests, above all, on the political will of the States. Cheikh Lô concluded by singing his last hit ‘Truth’, ‘Deugg Gi’ in Wolof.

3. Progress made so far Since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration there have been many developments and achievements: • All the member countries of ECOWAS (15) have appointed focal points in their government in order to coordinate the fight against statelessness. • 9 States have developed action plans to put an end to statelessness. Two States have ratified these action plans at the ministerial level. • 7 States are currently revising their nationality laws. • 8 States are signatories to the 1954 Convention on the status of stateless people, and to the 1961 Convention on the reduction of cases of statelessness. Since February 2015, 4 additional States (Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Sierra Leone) have taken decisive action regarding their adherence to the two conventions. • More than 20,000 people in West Africa have received documents of identity or citizenship since the adoption of the Declaration.

www.unhcr.org/statelessness kora.unhcr.org unhcr.org/ecowas2015 www.unhcr.org/ibelong issuu.com/unhcrinwestafrica

@StatelessWA #ibelong #jappartiens

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