One of the main vectors of Turkmenistan’s strategic partnership with the United Nations is the humanitarian sphere.
In particular, the Government of Turkmenistan, together with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international agencies, is taking relevant measures to protect the rights of refugees and stateless persons.
Turkmenistan’s national legislation is recognized by UNHCR as exemplary in terms of protecting and safeguarding the rights, freedoms and interests of all people living in the country.
It is important to note that Turkmenistan was the first country in the region to draft and adopt a Refugees Act in 1997, and in 1998 it acceded to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 and its Protocol of 1967.
By acceding to the main international instruments for the prevention and reduction of statelessness worldwide, the country is in fact reaffirming its commitment to the obligations it has assumed.
As a party to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Turkmenistan was the first country in Central Asia to accede to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
The country demonstrates effective practice of legislative regulation and fulfilment of international obligations in the field of migration, including on issues of social protection and equal opportunities for stateless persons and migrants. The Migration Act was adopted in March 2012 and is periodically amended and enriched.
In May 2012, in close cooperation with the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Turkmenistan hosted an International Conference on Refugees.
In 2014 jointly with UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration, Turkmenistan held a major International Forum on Migration and Statelessness, and in 2016 the first Regional Conference on Statelessness.
In this regard, it is important to note Turkmenistan’s initiative to arrange the participation of refugee athletes’ team to the Fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan is ready to continue to cooperate in this filed by inviting refugee teams to various competitions and joint training sessions in preparation for major international spor events.
Taking into account the implementation of refugee support measures enshrined in the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees, at the 2019 High-Level Segment on Statelessness Turkmenistan committed to resolve all known cases of statelessness by granting citizenship, updating determination mechanisms, reforming birth registration and improving data management.
In 2021, Turkmenistan adopted the Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals, introducing one of the most detailed statelessness determination procedures in the world.
Turkmenistan is the first country in the region to join the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme. Being a party to most of the fundamental documents of the UNHCR system, the country actively implements important decisions in the field of ending statelessness.
Since the launch in 2014 of the UN #IBelong global campaign aimed at ending statelessness worldwide, Turkmenistan has made unprecedented progress in ending statelessness by introducing one of the most extensive statelessness status determination procedures in the world. Turkmenistan has now fully met its obligations in the framework of this 10-year programme.
Turkmenistan, guided by this Global Campaign, has fully implemented the National Action Plan to End Statelessness for 2019-2024.
In recent years, the State has granted citizenship to more than 32,000 people, including refugees and stateless persons. This achievement is linked to the synergy of strong political will, legislative reforms, international cooperation and modernization of identification and registration systems. This step of Turkmenistan to fulfil its obligations has received special recognition from the United Nations, in particular the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
In the result of consistent and systematic work, Turkmenistan has presently demonstrated international leadership by becoming the first country that is a party to the Statelessness Conventions to resolve all known cases of statelessness and the first country in Central Asia to join the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.
Under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan will continue this humane work. The country’s determination in this regard is reflected in Turkmenistan’s priority positions at the 78th and 79th sessions of the UN General Assembly.
The Ministerial Conference on Ending Statelessness in Central Asia to be held in Ashgabat on 8 November 2024 on honoring the region’s high achievements in attaining this goal will be an important platform for sharing experiences and strengthening regional cooperation.
