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R 100558Z FEB 09
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000205 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, PRM, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF UNHCR TX
SUBJECT:  UNHCR HOLDS SEMINAR ON STATELESSNESS IN TURKMENISTAN 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified.  Not for Internet distribution 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  At a February 6 seminar for Government officials 
on the improvement of legislation on statelessness, a UNHCR expert 
explained the international legal framework of citizenship rights 
and prevention of statelessness.  He also discussed the causes of 
statelessness and protection of stateless persons.  According to a 
Turkmen Government official, in 2012 Turkmenistan will conduct a 
national census with the assistance of the United Nations 
Development Program (UNDP).  The United Nations High Commissioner 
for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative noted that the Turkmen 
Government had invited UNHCR to review the country's legislation. 
As such, the seminar was held in the framework of legal reform in 
Turkmenistan aimed at bringing the country's legislation in line 
with international standards.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNHCR INVITED TO REVIEW LEGISLATIVE PROCESS 
 
¶3. (SBU) The director of the State Institute for Democracy and Human 
Rights (IDHR), Shirin Ahmedova, opened the session, saying that the 
seminar was held in the framework of legal reform for further 
democratization of Turkmen society and improvement of national 
legislation.  In this regard, Ahmedova underscored that Turkmenistan 
pays significant importance to learning from international 
experience and strengthening contacts with foreign partners, 
especially with UN agencies.  The UNHCR Representative to 
Turkmenistan, Brita Helleland, noted that the Government of 
Turkmenistan had invited UNHCR to review the legislative process and 
that UNHCR would support the process by rendering its assistance. 
The seminar on statelessness was one such event organized by UNHCR 
together with the Turkmen Government. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mark Manly, the Head of the Statelessness Unit at UNHCR 
Headquarters, delivered a presentation on statelessness.  In 
particular, he talked about the international legal framework for 
citizenship rights and the prevention of statelessness.  He also 
addressed the UNHCR's mandate in this area, the causes and detection 
of statelessness, and the protection of stateless persons.  His 
presentation was followed by a Q&A session as well as discussion of 
UN Conventions and Turkmen laws governing citizenship and 
statelessness. 
 
NATIONAL CENSUS SCHEDULED FOR 2012 
 
¶5. (SBU) In the course of the seminar, Ahmedova mentioned that in 
2005, former President Niyazov issued two acts to eliminate cases of 
statelessness, according to which more than 3,000 stateless persons 
received residence permits and over 13,000 refugees received 
Turkmenistan citizenship.  She underscored that this government 
action was an example of Turkmenistan's commitment to principles of 
peacefulness and humanism.  She also reminded the audience that in 
2012 Turkmenistan would conduct a national census with the 
assistance of UNDP in order to learn how many people reside in 
Turkmenistan. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The event gathered representatives from IDHR, Institute for 
State and Law under President of Turkmenistan, Mejlis (Parliament) 
of Turkmenistan, Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Social 
Welfare, Education, Healthcare, State Customs, Migration, and Border 
Services, General Prosecutor's Office, Bar Association, Police and 
Military Academies, professors and students of Turkmen State 
University, Institute of International Affairs of MFA, local media, 
U.S. Embassy, Russian Embassy and UNHCR Mission in Turkmenistan. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT:  The workshop was yet another indication of the 
Turkmenistan Government's willingness to work with UN organizations. 
 Substantively, it followed the familiar format of a subject matter 
expert(s) meeting with Government officials to present information 
about international standards and to field questions.  It remains to 
be seen in the final Turkmen legislative product to what extent the 
principles underlying international practices were grasped by the 
participants and incorporated.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000205  002 OF 002 
 
 
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