Nansen Refugee Award honours Kyrgyz lawyer for work with stateless people

October 8, 2019

Human rights lawyer Azizbek Ashurov speaks at the Nansen Refugee Award

The 2019 winner of the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is Azizbek Ashurov, a lawyer whose work has supported the efforts of the Kyrgyz Republic in becoming the first country in the world to end statelessness.

On Monday night, IKEA managers from 24 countries were happy to witness Ashurov receive his award, as special guests at the ceremony in Geneva. The event was hosted by UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and supported by the IKEA Foundation and the Canton of Geneva.

Millions of people around the world are stateless, which means they are not recognised as a national of any country. Deprived of legal rights and basic services, stateless people are marginalised and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

The right to a future

Motivated by his own family’s difficult experience of achieving citizenship after arriving from Uzbekistan, Ashurov offered free legal advice and assistance to displaced, stateless and undocumented people in southern Kyrgyzstan. He said: “I realised that if it was this difficult for me, with my education, and as a lawyer, then imagine how hard it must be for an ordinary person.”

Through his organisation he has helped over 10,000 people gain Kyrgyz nationality after they became stateless following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Among them, some 2,000 children will now have the right to an education and a future with the freedom to travel, marry and work.

Opportunities for refugees

Earlier in the day, IKEA leaders gathered at the IKEA Geneva store to discuss how we can create a better everyday life and more opportunities for refugees.

Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani, another company leading the way in making a stand for refugees, said: “Coming together in an IKEA store discussing this serious human issue is inspiring to me. There is magic in bringing people together to create opportunities for others to shine. When a refugee gets a job he stops being a refugee.”

Read more about Nansen Award winner Azizbek Ashurov.

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UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
https://www.unhcr.org/

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👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
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Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
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Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
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Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
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🍄 “What we do matters.” That’s the lasting message from Daughters of the Forest. The film follows Eliseete and Julieta, scientists from Indigenous communities, and the women around them, revealing how science weaves together with ancestral wisdom, and inviting us to see nature as a web of connection, mutual respect and care. It reminds us that climate solutions often grow from local knowledge and lived experience. Recognising and valuing these insights is key to a sustainable, resilient future. By sharing stories like this, we can help shift perspectives and inspire climate action. Through our partnership with @thedocsociety’s Climate Story Fund, the IKEA Foundation supports storytelling that brings forward underrepresented perspectives and engages wider audiences in climate action. ❤️ @daughters_of_the_forest_film Learn more about our partner, Doc Society: link in bio. #climateaction #ikeafoundation
2 weeks ago
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Today, we celebrate our founder, Ingvar Kamprad, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Ingvar’s influence goes far beyond what he built. He inspired curiosity, humility, and a constant drive to improve, always rooted in everyday life. That thinking continues to guide our work at the IKEA Foundation. Together with our partners, we are working to fight global warming with and for the many people, so everyday life can be better, now and in the future. As Ingvar said, “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” There is still much to do. We move forward together. Happy birthday, Ingvar. 💙 #ikeafoundation
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Today, we celebrate our founder, Ingvar Kamprad, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Ingvar’s influence goes far beyond what he built. He inspired curiosity, humility, and a constant drive to improve, always rooted in everyday life. That thinking continues to guide our work at the IKEA Foundation. Together with our partners, we are working to fight global warming with and for the many people, so everyday life can be better, now and in the future. As Ingvar said, “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” There is still much to do. We move forward together. Happy birthday, Ingvar. 💙 #ikeafoundation
3 weeks ago
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