Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia

Zambia has one of the lowest birth registration rates in the world. Most children rarely have their births officially recorded. Lack of birth registration negatively impacts children. This research seeks to critically scrutinise the efficacy of Zambia's legal framework concerning statelessness, birth registration, the right to name, identity and acquisition of nationality. The research determines that Zambia's legal framework does not protect stateless persons. Neither does it provide for the right to nationality, nor address the problem of statelessness. The research highlights gaps in the Zambian legal system, which falls short of recognising the existence of stateless persons. The laws on birth registration are restricted and only applicable to Zambians by birth, descent, registration and those adopted. Despite Zambia having ratified several international conventions protecting statelessness persons, majority of them have never been incorporated into the national legal system. Thus, the right of a child to nationality, identity, birth registration as provided by the UNCRC cannot be effectively realised by most children in Zambia. The research concludes by providing recommendations such as legal reforms to include specific provisions to facilitate the identification, prevention and protection of stateless persons in Zambia. Ratification and domestication of specific key conventions intended to curb statelessness.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Public Law

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Siang'andu, Twaambo Ellah Mapenzi

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lutchman, Salona

• statelessness
• birth registration
• identity

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42719