It was preceded by UN General Assembly Resolution 896(IX)
The treaty was done at New York on 30 August 1961. It entered into force on 13 December 1975.
Full text in .pdf form can be seen at http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/6_1_1961.pdf
Article I(i) Contracting States shall grant their nationality to persons, otherwise stateless, born in the their territory (subject to Article 1(ii). The grant may be by virtue of the birth, or upon application by or on behalf of the person so born.
Article I(ii) A applicant may have up until at least the age of 21 to claim their citizenship by birth. For grant of citizenship by birth, a Contracting State may require proof of habitual residence in their territory for a period not exceeding 5 years immediately prior to application, or 10 years in total. Grant of citizenship by birth may be contingent upon the applicant's not having been convicted of an offence against national security nor having been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of five years or more. Grant of citizenship by birth may be contingent upon the applicant having always been stateless.
Article 1(iii) A child born in wedlock in a Contracting State shall take the nationality of its mother.
Article 1(iv) A Contracting State shall give its nationality to a person, otherwise statelss, who is legally precluded from assuming his/her birth nationality, where that State's nationality was held by either parent at the time of the birth.
Article 1(v) An applicant has until at least the age of 23 to claim a nationality by Article (iv). For conferral of nationality by Article 1(iv)a contracting State may impose a residence requirement not exceeding three years immediately prior to application. For conferral of nationality by Article 1(iv)it may be required that the applicant has always been stateless.
Article 2 For the purpose of assigning nationality, a foundling shall be considered to have been born in the State where it was found by and from parents of that State's nationality. That presumption may be displaced by proof to the contrary.
Article 3 For the purpose of assigning nationality, birth on a ship or aircraft shall amount to birth in the territory of the State that gives its flag to that ship or aircraft.
Article 4 A Contracting State shall grant its nationality to a person, not born in its territory, if either parent had that State's nationality and the person is otherwise stateless. Under this article, a person my claim nationality at least up to the age of 23. They may also be required to have a period of residence up to three years immediately prior to application. The nationality may be refused where a person has been convicted of an offence against the national security of the Contracting State.
Article 5 If a law entails loss of nationality, such loss shall be conditional upon the person acquiring another nationality. This only applies to loss by marriage, legitimation, divorce, recognition or adoption. A child that loses nationality by recognition or affiliation shall be given opportunity to reacquire by written application under terms not more rigorous than provided by Article 1(ii)
Article 6 If a law entails loss of nationality by a spouse or child by virtue of the loss of the nationality by the other spouse or either parent, such loss shall be conditional on their possession or acquisition of another nationality.
Article 7 Laws for the renunciation of a nationality shall be conditional upon a person's acquisition or possession of another nationality. {Exception:
