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20 June 2004: World refugee day |
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05 Jun 04 |
On 4 December 2000, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and that the Organization of African Unity (which was subsequently replaced by the African Union on 9 July 2002) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June. It, therefore, decided that, as from 2001, 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day (resolution 55/76).
The UN’s refugee agency is United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, commonly referred to as UNHCR. It is headquartered in Geneva and is headed by the High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers. An estimated 20 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 “A Place to Call Home: Rebuilding Lives in Safety and Dignity.” More information can be found on the following web sites:
The web site of two NGOs:
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