UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated Uzbekistan on the passage this week of legislation set to end statelessness for at least some 50,000 people. In granting nationality to those who previously had none, Uzbekistan is profoundly bettering the lives of a too-often invisible and vulnerable population, the UN press service said.

To remind, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law “On citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan” on March 13. According to it, if a person, who has been permanently registered in Uzbekistan since January 1, 1995, and did not have the citizenship of a foreign country, at his will, is recognized as a citizen of the republic. 

“The Secretary-General commends this achievement as an important contribution to global efforts to end statelessness worldwide by 2024. This development is also a signal of Uzbekistan’s strong commitment to leave no one behind as we enter the Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals,” Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said.