UN General Assembly
1993

on citizenship which will safeguard the national identity of its indigenous population. Concurrently, Latvia will uphold its obligations under international human rights law. Latvia has already determined its present body of citizens through a process of resident registration. In 1991, along with the restoration of its sovereignty and independence, Latvia restored citizenship to those persons from whom it had been taken in 1940; this was done regardless of their national, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and citizenship was granted to their descendants as well. Pursuant to Latvia’s Constitution, it is this body of persons which participated in the June 1993 parliamentary elections. Latvia’s present body of citizens includes approximately Forty-eighth session - 29 September l993 9 400,000 non-ethnic Latvians, or approximately 25 per cent of the electorate - a figure that reflects the non-ethnic Latvian composition of the electorate prior to the occupation in 1940. Latvia’s democratically elected Parliament, the Saeima, will in the near future adopt a citizenship law which will set the requirements, in accordance with international law, for obtaining Latvian citizenship for residents of Latvia who