Intro:

Statelessness affects 10 million people globally, so Chile’s adoption of international accords that promote a fundamental right to nationality is an important step, the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR), said on Tuesday.

Welcoming the South American country’s decision to accede to two international agreements - the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness – UNHCR said that around 2,000 children will benefit.

Without official nationality, people can face obstacles enrolling in school, seeking healthcare and getting married, as agency spokesperson William Spindler told Michelle Kusuma.