The Canadian Centre on Statelessness (CCS) is a non-profit organisation that seeks action against statelessness through research, advocacy and the fostering of a national community of allies including persons affected by statelessness.
Affecting an estimated 15 million people worldwide, statelessness refers to not having nationality of any country. This means a stateless person does not have a legal identity, or citizenship, and lives without basic human rights. Statelessness is an ever increasing concern all over the world, and with new legislative changes in Canada, the need to develop partnerships in the fight against statelessness is essential. CCS is a centre where those who wish to join the cause can learn about statelessness in the Canadian and global contexts, meet and discuss issues, and collaborate and partner in the course of advocacy and research.
November 4th, 2014 was the 60 year anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, and in commemoration of this historical event, the UNHCR has launched a new campaign to eradicate statelessness by 2024. Several human rights organisations around the world are marking November 4th as a day that symbolizes a re-energized and collaborative effort to tackle the problem of statelessness, and improve the lives of millions of stateless people all over the world. For more information on the UNHCR #IBelong Campaign, click here.
