For the first time in West Africa, a regional meeting on stateless persons will bring together ministers in charge of questions of nationality in ECOWAS member-countries.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) News Letter, made available to the Ghana News Agency, the conference being organized jointly by UNHCR and ECOWAS in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from February 23 to 25, would be attended by high-level representatives from ECOWAS and high level Ivorian authorities.

Bringing together experts from all over the world, for this trilingual event on the status of nationality and stateless persons, this meeting would include key stakeholders who contribute to ending statelessness in various ECOWAS countries, including representatives of regional and international organizations, United Nations agencies, civil society national human rights commissions, and academics.

It noted that this meeting would also provide a platform for people who were once stateless, to talk about their difficulties, and explain how their status was resolved.

It said A’Salfo, the singer of Magic System and a United Nations Peace Ambassador, as well as Barbara Hendricks, UNHCR Honorary Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador, would share their personal experiences, as a contribution to ending statelessness.

According to the Newsletter, the first two days of the conference would be devoted to a technical meeting, to encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience amongst the experts.

It said after defining sources of statelessness, they would discuss measures to control this scourge, seen through the prism of the thematic areas of identification, protection of stateless persons, as well as prevention and reduction of statelessness.

It observed that the Conference of Ministers itself would take place on February 25, under the auspices of Mr António Guterres, the High Commissioner, as well as high-level representatives from ECOWAS and the Ivorian authorities.

It said, as an outcome of the discussions, it is expected that recommendations for the eradication of statelessness and a joint declaration of West African governments would be adopted.