Necessary to prevent statelessness when nationality laws are changed: UN chief

Islamabad: Amid concerns over India’s Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), UN chief Antonio Guterres has said it is necessary to do everything to prevent “statelessness” when when a nationality law is changed.
Guterres, who was on a three-day visit to Pakistan, when asked whether he was concerned about new laws in India during an interview, said, “Of course (I am concerned). Because this is an area in which the relevant UN body is quite active.”
“The present High Commissioner for Refugees is quite active to this situation like many others like this. Because there is risk of statelessness created by those national laws,” the UN Secretary General told Dawn News TV.
“It is absolutely essential when a nationality law is changed, the statelessness is prevented. Because when basic right of anyone anywhere is to have a country that a person calls his, then everything should be done in order to avoid statelessness,” he said.
On Kashmir, Guterres said two reports by the UN High Commissioner on Kashmir played an important role in “clarifying exactly what is happening” there and “it is essential that these reports are taken seriously”.
Guterres on Sunday said in Islamabad that he was concerned over the situation in Kashmir, and that he was ready to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the long pending issue.
Reacting to his offer, India said the real issue needed to be addressed is to vacate territories “illegally and forcibly” occupied by Pakistan.
When asked why the UN has failed to constitute a high-powered inquiry commission to go to Kashmir and investigate alleged rights violations, the Secretary General said: “Only the governing bodies of the UN or the Security Council can make that decision, but these reports are credible, relevant and very important.”
He acknowledged that the current structure of the UN and the veto power to only its five permanent member states were hampering the ability of the UN to deliver the very objective it was created for — conflict resolution.
In order to ensure increased efficacy of the UN, he felt the body had to be reformed to be made “more democratic, more open and more effective” and to be more representative of today’s multilateral world.
Guterres during his three-day visit to Pakistan met officials, attended a conference on Afghan refugees, visited Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and saw cultural places in Lahore. (PTI)