On 25 February 2015, UNHCR and the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS) signed a Declaration to end statelessness in West Africa by 2024. The Declaration was signed in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, after three days of deliberations from 22 – 25 February.
The Regional Ministerial Conference on Statelessness in West Africa drew together representatives of the ECOWAS member states, experts, NGOs and academics. The High Commissioner for Refugees, the President of Cote d’Ivoire, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, among other dignitaries, called upon member states to work towards eradicating the problem of statelessness in the region where close to one million persons are stateless or are at risk of becoming stateless.
Watch video:
Video produced by UNHCR Offices in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and the Regional Office in Dakar, Senegal
