SRSG NATALIA GHERMAN PARTICIPATES IN A CEREMONY GRANTING PASSPORTS TO NEW CITIZENS OF TURKMENISTAN

SRSG NATALIA GHERMAN IN A CEREMONY GRANTING PASSPORTS TO NEW CITIZENS OF TURKMENISTAN

26 Sep 2019

SRSG NATALIA GHERMAN PARTICIPATES IN A CEREMONY GRANTING PASSPORTS TO NEW CITIZENS OF TURKMENISTAN

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 26 September 2019, SRSG Natalia Gherman took part in the ceremony offering the passports to the people who were granted Turkmen citizenship, organized by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan.

The event was attended by H.E. Mr. Vepa Hadjiev, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, Ms. Yasuko Oda, the UNHCR Regional Representative for Central Asia, Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator, state institutions, honorary elders as well as national and foreign mass media.

SRSG Natalia Gherman referred to the implementation of the United Nations Global Campaign aimed at ending statelessness in the world by 2024 and UN Member States’ efforts, acting decisively to promote the objectives of this campaign.

She noted the significant progress of all five states of Central Asia in preventing and reducing statelessness with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other UN partner agencies and civil society. She pointed out that more than 150 000 people without citizenship have been identified since the launch of the Global Campaign in the region and some 60 000 cases have been resolved successfully. 

SRSG Natalia Gherman praised Turkmenistan’s strong commitment to the UNHCR Global Campaign, thanks to which more than 8 000 people received Turkmen citizenship during the last 5 years. Furthermore, this year, the President of Turkmenistan signed the Decree on granting Turkmen citizenship to 863 people more.

She also echoed the words of Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, saying that “there is no other way to deal with global challenges than with global response”.

“The mission of the Regional Centre is to provide assistance to the states of Central Asia in promoting peace and stability in the region through preventive diplomacy.  Issues of refugees and persons without citizenship have always been in the focus of the Centre’s attention, as the problems of stateless people could contribute to creation of some factors of instability, being part of vulnerable population. In this connection, the Regional Centre works closely with the Regional Office of UNHCR in Central Asia and other relevant entities of the countries of Central Asia,” added SRSG Natalia Gherman.