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

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dc.contributor.advisorLutchman, Salona
dc.contributor.authorSiang'andu, Twaambo Ellah Mapenzi
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-28T08:25:40Z
dc.date.available2026-01-28T08:25:40Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2026-01-28T08:24:18Z
dc.description.abstractZambia 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.
dc.identifier.apacitationSiang'andu, T. E. M. (2025). <i>Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSiang'andu, Twaambo Ellah Mapenzi. <i>"Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSiang'andu, T.E.M. 2025. Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Siang'andu, Twaambo Ellah Mapenzi AB - 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. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - statelessness KW - birth registration KW - identity LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia TI - Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSiang'andu TEM. Eradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42719en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Law
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Law
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectstatelessness
dc.subjectbirth registration
dc.subjectidentity
dc.titleEradicating statelessness: universal birth registration as a means of realising the right to name and nationality in Zambia
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelLLM
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