Youth Statelessness as a Governance Gap:
GCM and GCR Complementarities in Strengthening Legal Identity Frameworks in Asia-Pacificco-organized by YPFP Tokyo and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) Tokyo demonstrates a thriving Asia-Pacific-focused global community of youth through our capacity-building programs, engaging events, a global network of peers, and opportunities to elevate youth voices through research, publications, and leadership programs. As the a few Japan-based organization accredited to participate in the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) 2026, YPFP Tokyo brings a unique Japan-based and Asia-Pacific regional perspective to migration governance discussions, co-organized with UNHCR.
This side event situates statelessness within a migration governance framework, examining how inconsistencies between nationality regimes, civil registration systems, and migration authorities limit the effectiveness of safe and regular mobility pathways. Furthermore, the event explores statelessness as a governance and protection gap at the intersection of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). By bridging protection, legal, and migration governance perspectives, the session will identify institutional coordination challenges and policy gaps relevant to GCM Objectives 4, and paragraph 83 of the GCR recognizing that statelessness may be both a cause and consequence of refugee movements. The discussion will also highlight the efforts of UNHCR and civil society experts to eradicate statelessness through a multistakeholder approach that includes governments, civil society, international organizations, academia and those that have been affected by statelessness. Collectively, these stakeholders are working to identify and develop solutions and to amplify the voices of persons with lived experiences of statelessness.
✧ Prof. Lauren S. Power, YPFP Tokyo Founder and Advisor