World Refugee Day Date in the current year: June 20, 2017

World Refugee Day World Refugee Day is a United Nations global observance held on June 20 each year. It was established by the UN General Assembly on December 4, 2000.

World Refugee Day was proclaimed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The convention sets out which people qualify or do no qualify as refugees and lists the rights of individuals who are granted asylum. The day of June 20 was selected to have World Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day.

The observance focuses on raising awareness of the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons throughout the world. Refugees are people who had to leave their country due to persecution, armed conflict or war and were granted asylum by another state. Internally displaced persons are people who were forced to flee their home but remained within their country's borders. Currently, most of the world's refugees live in developing countries.

On World Refugees Day, more than 100 UN Member States organize events and activities aimed a highlighting global refugee issues. The events involve government officials, celebrities, humanitarian aid workers, civilians and refugees themselves. Each year, a new theme for the day is announced by United Nations Refugee Agency.

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World Refugee Day, global observance, UN observance, refugees, internally displaced persons