Kiribati is the only State in the Pacific that is party to both the 1954 Convention and 1961 Convention and made positive advances towards the elimination of gender discrimination in its nationality laws, as the last Pacific country to retain such provisions. These efforts unfortunately stalled in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Constitution and the Citizenship Act of 1979 established nationality criteria, conferring citizenship primarily through descent and birth. However, the law has been critiqued for gender disparities, particularly in the transmission of nationality through mothers and the naturalisation of married women. The inability of women to confer nationality to their children and the limitations on women's naturalisation processes have led to instances where individuals may be rendered stateless. 

The concept of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is not formally recognised within Kiribati's legal framework. While climate change poses significant challenges to the nation's low-lying islands, leading to discussions about potential displacement, there are no established legal provisions or policies addressing the status or rights of individuals who might be displaced within the country. As such, there is no formal recognition or protection for IDPs under national law.