8
3. States Parties shall take measures to reduce cases of statelessness and facilitate acquisition of
citizenship for isolated or nomadic or semi-nomadic and seafaring minorities. These shall
include measures such as:
(i) mobile registration clinics and periodic registration campaigns specifically prepared and
adopted for minority communities known to be lacking documentation of nationality
such as nomadic and sea-faring minorities.
(ii) determination of ‘habitual residence’ for the purposes of citizenship of a person
belonging to a minority, including nomadic or sea-faring minority, using criteria based on
links to a State’s territory (land or water) such as habitual centre of interests; frequent
periods of residence; the historical or present-day use of wells and moorage points; the
state concerned as the state of birth or origin of the nomad or the state of origin of her
or his immediate family; the presence in the state concerned of members of a person’s
immediate family lawfully staying in that state or possessing its nationality.
5. States Parties shall not arbitrarily or discriminatorily deny or deprive minorities of dual or
multiple citizenship where this is permitted by the State.
6. States shall adopt a more objective, nuanced and context-specific bases, including but not
limited to factors such as lawful and effective residence, historical ties, certain link to a territory
and peaceful occupation, to determine citizenship. Citizenship shall not be regarded as an
element of the definition of “minority” in a State.
Part IV
Article 20
1. In the regions or territories in which significant numbers of a minority reside or are in a
majority, due attention given to the specific historical and cultural contexts, minorities shall be
entitled in particular to the enjoyment of, and empowered through, appropriate forms of
autonomy or self-governance, including in the framework of decentralization as provided for
under a state’s constitutional and legal regime.
2. Forms of autonomy or self-governance that reflect the specific historical and cultural contexts
of the minority group shall be developed and set up with the national or ethnic, religious or
belief and linguistic minorities concerned through their own representative organisations.
3. Minorities have the right to autonomy or self-governance in matters relating to their internal
and local affairs, as well as ways and means to guarantee financially support autonomous
functions as provided for under a state’s constitutional and legal regime.
4. Where appropriate for their protection and rights, minorities have the right to non-territorial
forms of autonomy or self-governance, which may include authority over matters such as
education, culture, the use of minority language, religion or belief, and other matters of
importance to the identity, survivability, dignity, humanity and way of life of minorities.
5. Forms of autonomy or self-governance as provided for minorities under this treaty are
intended to strengthen national unity while accommodating the rich diversity of the populations
making up the people in a State.
Article 21