The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognized the efforts carried out by Costa Rica for the eradication of statelessness (Statelessness is the condition of someone who is “not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law”).

Costa Rica’s efforts involve the approval of regulations and procedures for the determination of the condition of a statelessness person in 2016, the country also became the first in the American continent to grant the Costa Rican nationality to a statelessness person.

The advances of the country in the prevention of new cases of statelessness, the identification and protection of statelessness populations and the resolution of the existing situations have been carried out trough interinstitutional coordination, involving, among others, the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Costa Rica Supreme Electoral Court (TSE).

“For our country and for the Ministry I direct, the nationality in addition to being a human right, offers a sense of identity to people, and it is also necessary for the plain participation in the society and in many occasions it becomes a prerequisite for the enjoyment of all human rights”, stated Vice-President and Chancellor Epsy Campbell.

During this 2018, the UN Refugee Agency has collaborated from a technical aspect with Costa Rica in the revision of the compliance with international commitments acquired by the county for the eradication of statelessness, following the indicators of the World Action Plan for the Eradication of Statelessness 2014-2024, developed by UNHCR in collaboration with the countries, civil society and international organizations.

“This is the ideal time to recognize Costa Rica as a nation committed to international and regional efforts, which has carried out initiatives not just for the prevention of statelessness but also to protect people declared as stateless and offer them a solution”, declared Marcela Rodríguez-Farrelly, Protection Officer for UNHCR.