In resolution 55/76 the General Assembly decided that as from 2001 World Refugee Day would be celebrated on 20 June of each year.  The UN’s refugee agency is United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, commonly referred to as UNHCR.  It is headquartered in Geneva.  The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has nominated António Guterres as the new High Commissioner for Refugees.  An estimated 17 million people fall under the mandate of UNHCR, consisting both of refugees and internally displaced persons (persons who have fled their homes for similar reasons as refugees but who have not crossed an international border).

The theme of World Refugee Day 2004 is “Courage,” the courage of refugees who have to flee and live in exile, and the courage of UNHCR workers who devote themselves to the cause of refugees.

More information can be found on the following web sites: 

• www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/events?id=3e7f46e04 – information about World Refugee Day 2005.  From this site you can also download the World Refugee Day 2005 leaflets and five postcards;
• www.jesref.org -- Jesuit Refugee Service
• www.refugeesinternational.org – Refugees International
• www.refugees.org -- US Committee for Refugees