There are nearly four million stateless people spread in 78 countries across the world and the United Nations says that number could actually be significantly higher.
The UN launched a campaign to eradicate statelessness five years ago.
Now, one man from Kyrgyzstan, Azizbeq Ashurov, is being recognised for his efforts to tackle the problem.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from southern Kyrgyzstan.
