Documentation is fundamental to the enjoyment of human rights, as legal identity enables individuals to exercise their rights and access essential services. International human rights law guarantees the right to recognition as a person before the law, and civil registration systems record vital events—such as birth, marriage, divorce, death, and parentage—that form the basis of legal identity and family life. For refugees, asylum‑seekers, IDPs, and stateless persons, documentation is indispensable for protection, access to services, freedom of movement, and the prevention of statelessness. 

Birth registration is especially critical, as it establishes a child’s legal identity from the outset. States must ensure immediate, non‑discriminatory, accessible birth registration and issuance of birth certificates for all children, including those born to displaced or stateless parents, and provide late registration procedures without punitive barriers. Civil registration of other vital events must also be available without discrimination and should not depend on nationality, immigration status, or possession of documents often lost during displacement. Flexible evidentiary standards are essential to ensure inclusion. 

Refugees and stateless persons have a right to identity papers when lacking valid documentation, and States must issue, replace, and renew such documents promptly, affordably, and in a manner that respects individuals’ names and personal identity. For IDPs, authorities must facilitate replacement of lost or destroyed documents. States should clarify recognition of UNHCR‑issued documents. 

Travel documents—machine‑readable and compliant with ICAO standards—must be issued to refugees and stateless persons lawfully staying in the territory, enabling safe, lawful international movement. Systems must also provide effective remedies for individuals denied registration or documentation.