I would like to express my gratitude for the leading role that Turkmenistan continues to play in solving the problem of statelessness in Central Asia and at the global level, the message of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi addressed to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the state news Agency of Turkmenistan reports.
The naturalization of some 8,800 stateless persons since 2011, as well as Your endorsement of the National action plan for the elimination of statelessness by 2024, demonstrate Your deep commitment to addressing this issue.
I was pleased to learn of Your recent decision to grant Turkmen citizenship to another group of 863 vulnerable individuals in accordance with the Presidential decree of 20 September 2019. This is an important milestone and deserves international recognition.
In the light of the above, I would like to inform you of the upcoming high-level Segment on statelessness at the seventieth plenary session of the UNHCR Executive Committee, scheduled for 7 October 2019, which marks the midpoint of our global campaign to eliminate statelessness within a decade. In addition, we will organize the first Global refugee forum on 17-18 December 2019.
Both events will be held at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and could be a good opportunity for Turkmenistan to showcase its achievements to date, to announce the steps your country intends to take to fully implement Its national action plan in line with a broader commitment to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Some achievements to be noted may include, for example, your continued efforts to achieve universal birth registration or to establish procedures for determining statelessness. This will once again highlight Turkmenistan's leading role in this area and serve as inspiring examples for others.
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude for our continued cooperation and to Express my warmest congratulations to You and the Turkmen people on the occasion of the national holiday - Independence Day, Filippo Grandi said in his letter.
