15th Online Course on Statelessness

STATELESSNESS

15^th Online Course on Statelessness in English

26 October – 19 November 2026, Online

Live sessions of the Course will be held from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm, Rome time, 2–3 sessions per week. Please, click here to check your time zone.

© UNHCR/Elyor Nemat

The Course responds to the need for increased knowledge and capacity to prevent, reduce and resolve statelessness and to protect stateless persons worldwide. The curriculum of the Course analyzes statelessness in international law, including the right to a nationality, the protection of stateless persons, and legal safeguards to prevent statelessness. It further examines the causes and impacts of statelessness, the interrelation between statelessness and forced displacement, as well as the link between climate change and statelessness. The training also aims at promoting the use and the implementation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0 and sharing good practices.

Overall objectives

Enhance participants’ understanding of the international norms underpinning the right to nationality and the protection of stateless persons.
Encourage the sharing of good practices among participants on how to reduce and prevent statelessness and protect stateless persons.
Promote the use and the implementation of the UNHCR Global Action Plan to End Statelessness 2.0.
Encourage governments to accede to the Statelessness Conventions, establish or improve safeguards against statelessness in nationality laws, remove discrimination from nationality laws, and develop laws and policies that guarantee the protection of stateless persons.

Target audience

The Course is developed primarily to benefit senior and mid-level government officials involved in the formulation and application of legislation and policies affecting stateless persons. Members of the civil society and the academia who could positively influence the safeguard of stateless peoples’ rights and advocate for their protection are also welcomed as participants. It is important for participants to have a very good knowledge of the language of the Course, in order to be able to consult background materials, attend lessons, and participate in group works and discussions (no simultaneous translation is available).

Methodology

The Online Course is structured into four weeks, with the objective to provide an in-depth analysis of the subject of the training, including cross-cutting issues.

Weeks are composed of up to three live sessions and self-paced sessions.

Live sessions are pre-scheduled and usually last 120 minutes. These are delivered via Zoom for Education;
Self-paced sessions are completed at participants’ own pace and must be undertaken before the beginning of each following class. These usually consist in pre-recorded videos, short questionnaires or assignments, and/or selected reference materials.

The Course strikes a balance between theory and practice and is delivered through a participatory and creative teaching methodology, aimed at facilitating the learning process and implementing the knowledge gained throughout the training. Sessions include lectures, presentations, case studies, group work, audio-visual support, and other activities, which respond to the various learning styles of a diversified audience.

Throughout the training, participants and expert facilitators are able to share best practices and experiences regarding the main topics and issues of the Course.

The Sessions will be delivered by experts working in the field of statelessness, members of academia, or persons with lived experience from around the world.

REGISTRATION FORM

Registration deadline: 29 September 2026

PROGRAMME

Queries on the course registration and administrative questions should be directed at admission.unit@iihl.org.

Duration:
4 weeks

Language:
English

Registration fee:
€ 750

End of course:
Official certificate

Application Procedure

Language

Certificate

Participation quota amounts to € 750. It must be remitted before the start of the Course by bank transfer. Visa and/or Mastercard are also accepted on the website of the Institute.

A limited number of scholarships is available for the Online Course and cannot therefore be guaranteed purely by application. Scholarships will depend upon funds available to the Institute thanks to the kind contribution of our donors. To apply for a scholarship, you must detail so in the dedicated field in the Registration Form.

The course will be conducted in English and reasonable language proficiency is required. There will not be simultaneous translation.

The official Certificate will be awarded only to those who attend the Course in full, including participation in live and self-paced sessions, and completion of assignments.

STATELESSNESS