A seminar was held for employees of the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan, organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This was reported by the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”.

The seminar was aimed at enhancing the capacity of staff of the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan on issues of statelessness and asylum by familiarizing them with international standards and best practices to reduce and prevent statelessness, sharing experiences in addressing these issues and strengthening cooperation between the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan and UNHCR.

The seminar was conducted by UNHCR Senior Legal Protection Adviser Rano Saidumarova, UNHCR Statelessness Adviser in Central Asia Sergiu Gaina and UNHCR Legal Adviser Hanifa Karimia.

Participants noted the achievements of Turkmenistan in joining the main UNHCR Conventions, reducing and preventing statelessness, strengthening the legal framework for work carried out in this area, which determine the country’s leading role in eradicating statelessness in Central Asia.

UNHCR representatives emphasized the importance of the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Statelessness for 2019-2024, approved by the President of Turkmenistan, within the time frame outlined within the #IBELONG campaign to achieve the global goal of eradicating statelessness, the source notes.