United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2015, June 26.

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, June 26.
يوم الأمم المتحدة الدولي لمساندة ضحايا التعذيب، 26 يونيو.

支持酷刑受害者国际日, 6月26日.

Международный день в поддержку жертв пыток, 26 июня.

Journée internationale pour le soutien aux victimes de la torture, 26 juin.

Día Internacional de las Naciones Unidas en Apoyo de las Víctimas de la Tortura, 26 de junio.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2015.

The rise of violent extremism and unprecedented levels of forced displacement in our world demand a comprehensive response – and no aspect is more urgent than assisting the many victims of rising levels of torture that these and related trends generate.     
The world is rightly shocked and horrified by the treatment of innocent civilians, especially women, at the hands of violent extremists. At the same time, record numbers of people fleeing their homes risk a perilous journey that is often marred by grave violations of human rights, including torture.
On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United Nations calls on the world to stand in solidarity with all affected people as well as their families and communities. We join our voices in a resounding cry against such abhorrent and inhumane practices.
In armed conflict, torture constitutes a war crime. When it is used in a systematic or widespread manner, it also amounts to a crime against humanity. There is an absolute prohibition on the use of torture at any time and under any circumstances under international law.
As States grapple with their response to violent extremism, it is essential to stress that torture can never be used to fight terror; in fact torture terrorizes. The use of torture is wrong from a moral point of view and wrongheaded from a strategic standpoint. Practicing torture hurts the very cause of democracy, justice and human rights that the terrorists seek to undermine, and it gives them fuel to gain new recruits.
I am committed to leading the United Nations in denouncing torture and defending human rights everywhere. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is actively engaged with partners in this effort.
Victims of torture have the right to compensation and rehabilitation. They also deserve and have the right to know the truth. That is why it is so critical to investigate instances of torture, identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
On this Day, we urge special protection for the courageous human rights defenders who put themselves at grave risk in order to shine a light on the practice of torture. And we pay tribute to the many doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists and social workers who provide hope and help to enable victims to heal and integrate back into society.
This Day is also a chance to remind States of their obligation under international law to provide redress to victims.
The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture channels vital funding to rehabilitation centres, tribunals, hospitals, refugee sites and other places assisting victims worldwide.
I thank States and private donors supporting the Fund, and I urge others to consider making a contribution at donatenow.ohchr.org/torture/.
I also call on States that are not party to the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol to ratify those instruments without delay.
Let us use this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture to mobilize help for them and action to prevent future cases. Assisting the affected individuals and stopping this crime will benefit whole societies and our collective future.

Ban Ki-moon

FORUM :   International Day in Support of Victims of Torture -26 June

 IRCT’s new strategy: to become global knowledge hub on health-based rehabilitation of torture victims and chief promoter of the right to rehabilitation.
“Our hope with the publication of the Strategic Plan is that all external stakeholders, including our key cooperation partners will understand where we currently stand as a movement and how we intend to address the challenges facing the movement,” explains Mr. Madrigal-Borloz, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims,


 

The IRCT has published its strategic plan for the period 2015-2020

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2015, June 26

禁止药物滥用和非法贩运国际日, 6月26日.

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June.

Международный день борьбы со злоупотреблением наркотическими средствами и их незаконным оборотом , 26 июн.

Día Internacional de la Lucha contra el Uso Indebido y el Tráfico Ilícito de Drogas, 26 de junio.

Journée internationale contre l'abus et le trafic de drogues, 26 juin.

 اليوم الدولي لمكافحة إساءة استعمال المخدرات والاتجار غير المشروع بها، يونيو 26.

 

Lets Develop — Our Lives — Our Communities — Our Identities — Without Drugs

2015 Theme: Lets Develop — Our Lives — Our Communities — Our Identities — Without Drugs

 2015年主题：让发展 - 我们的生活 - 我们的社区 - 我们的身份 - 没有毒品

Thème 2015 - « Le développement de - nos vies, nos communautés, nos identités - sans drogues » 

 Tema de 2015: Desarrollo - Para nuestras vidas - Para nuestras comunidades - Para nuestras identidades - Sin drogas

 United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2015.

In September, leaders from around the world will meet at the United Nations to adopt an ambitious new sustainable development agenda to eradicate extreme poverty and provide a life of dignity for all.  This ambition, while achievable, must address various obstacles, including the deadly harm to communities and individuals caused by drug trafficking and drug abuse.   

Our shared response to this challenge is founded on the international drug control conventions.  In full compliance with human rights standards and norms, the United Nations advocates a careful re-balancing of the international policy on controlled drugs.We must consider alternatives to criminalization and incarceration of people who use drugs and focus criminal justice efforts on those involved in supply.We should increase the focus on public health, prevention, treatment and care, as well as on economic, social and cultural strategies.    We must address the nexus between illicit drugs and violence, corruption and terrorism: A balanced approach recognizes the close connections between those who traffic in drugs and criminal networks involved in firearms smuggling, kidnapping, human trafficking and other crimes.This work must also include redoubling efforts to prevent the supply of the precursor chemicals that are the foundation of so many illicit drugs.   

Promoting international cooperation through the UN conventions on transnational organized crime and corruption is essential to addressing today’s security and development challenges.  No criminal should escape justice.  The balanced approach calls for unity of purpose within the international community, including the UN, civil society and, most importantly, the world’s nations.  No country can work in isolation.  Comprehensive and integrated efforts at the local, regional and global levels offer the best hope for dealing with the traffickers, while taking care to protect vulnerable groups and marginalized communities.    

Efforts against illicit drugs must be connected to our work to promote opportunities through equitable and sustainable development.  We must continually strive to make the weak and fragile stronger.  

The United Nations General Assembly special session on the world drug problem, to be held in April 2016, can advance this cause, with countries sharing knowledge and forging common solutions.   

On the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, let us raise awareness about the value of applying a balanced approach to these problems based on an understanding that sustainable development can and must catalyze change across all these fronts.      

Ban Ki-moon

Use of drugs  in 2013 (or latest year available)

Statement from Mr Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June 2015.

Today is an important day for focusing on the threat of the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs. Robust action is needed to strengthen criminal justice systems, break-up the criminal networks who deal in misery and suffering, and to nurture health and human rights-based responses.

People also endure unbelievable pain due to a lack of controlled medications for medical purposes. Measures must be taken to ensure that people across the globe can access pain relief where necessary. We must also do everything to promote greater understanding of drug use as a social and health condition that calls for, like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, sustained prevention, treatment and care.

Science and  evidence-based practices must prevail in the delivery of prevention and treatment of drug use. These approaches are the foundation for all our efforts. With nearly 200,000 drug-related deaths and with 1.65 million infected with HIV in 2013, access to evidence based prevention and treatment can sometimes be the difference between life and death.

At present, only one in six people who use drugs globally has access to treatment. Women face numerous barriers to treatment-while one in three drug users globally are women, only one in five drug users in treatment are women.

Africa, particularly West and East Africa, also remains vulnerable to the trafficking and the consumption of illicit drugs. These trends are part of organized crime's attack on the security, health and development of an already-fragile region. The nexus of organized crime and terrorism-including the apparent role of drug trafficking-is a serious threat. Opium cultivation in Afghanistan remains a formidable challenge, as is the production of cocaine in Latin America.

UNODC's own work shows that the balanced approach of confronting drug supply and drug demand is fundamental. Alternative development for farmers who cultivate illicit crops also has a major role. Alternative development promotes environmental protection, supports communities affected by other forms of crime, including wildlife and forest crime, and empowers women.

Countries must also work hard to protect the promise of future generations. Young people should be encouraged to undertake new initiatives that can develop aspirations and opportunities, as well as dignity. 
The UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem, to be held in April 2016, can assist in the exchanges of ideas and lessons learned, and will do much to help achieve the goals set out in the Political Declaration and Plan of Action by 2019.

On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and ahead of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, it is important to remember that illicit drugs undermine the environment, security and development. Countering their impact using a balanced and human rights based approach is vital to protect and promote the health and welfare of humankind.

Yury Fedotov, UNODC

 FORUM : World Drug Day - June 26

The World Drug Report presents a comprehensive annual overview of the latest developments in the world's illicit drug markets by focusing on the production, trafficking and consumption of the main types of illicit drugs, along with the related health consequences of those drugs. Chapter 1 of the World Drug Report 2015 not only provides a global overview of the supply of and demand for opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances, as well as their impact on health, but also provides a review of the scientific evidence on approaches to preventing drug use and addresses general principles for effective responses to treatment for drug use. Chapter 2 examines how alternative development, within the broader context of the development agenda, is aimed at breaking the vicious cycle of illicit crop cultivation by providing farmers with alternative livelihoods.

World Drug Report 2015 -UNODC.

Day of the Seafarer 2015, June 25

Международный день моряка, 25 июня.
International Day of the Seafarer, June 25.
 Journée internationale des gens de mer, 25 juin.
 Día Internacional de la Gente de Mar, 25 de junio.
年海 员日, 6月25 日.
اليوم العالمي للالبحارة، 25 يونيو

Day of the Seafarer 2015

 Message from the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon on the International Day of the Seafarer 2015.

 Since the dawn of history mankind has gone to sea, and today  s eafaring  remains  one of the  world’s  most important professions. About 1.5 million seafarers provide the labour force  that literally keeps the global economy moving  – and we all  benefit from that, whether rich or poor, north or south. But as the  global population grows, so does the demand for  shipping;  an d there are fears that, in the future, there may be a  shortage of seafarers. This is a concern not just for shipping,  but for all of us who rely on seafarers.

On June 25 each year, we celebrate the international Day of the  Seafarer.  A campaign, driven by the International Maritime  Organization, uses the day to draw attention  to  the profession  and the benefits seafarers bring to mankind. This year the focus  is on energising and inspiring a new generation of younger  people to take up se afaring as a career. Seafaring can provide young generations with unique  opportunities .

Not only can they secure decent work and earn a  good living to provide for their families, they can also gain  access to a world of life - enriching travel and experience s that  very few can dream of. Imagine  sailing the world’s oceans,  seeing the northern lights,  experiencing  arctic snow or a tropical  storm for the first time  – and  meeting people from all over the  world while doing so. Then, when his or her sea - going days are over, the seafarer  can draw on skills and  technical expertise acquired in running  today’s modern, high - tech vessels that make them very well  qualified for a rewarding future in many shore - based industries. Seafaring is a particularly attractive option for people in  developing countries. 

But  y oung people need to be engaged  and enthused if they are to see and understand these  opportunities.  And t his is what the 2015 Day of the Seafarer  campaign aims to do. So please, if you are  a  young person seeing this message,  wherever you are, I urge you to consider seafaring as a career;  if you already understand the value of seafaring or are part of  the maritime sector yourself, please share your  passion about  the mariti me world with others, particularly young people , on  this special day . 

And if you are a serving seafarer, today we  salute you, we thank you and we want you to know we  appreciate very much the essential and vital work that you do.

 Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary - General

Message from the IMO Secretary-General on the International Day of the Seafarer 2015.

I am speaking to you today from the  Seamen's Center at Intramuros, Manila , operated by the  Associated Marine Officers and Seamen's Union of the Philippines , which is the world’s  leading supplier of manpower to the global maritime industry. Every year, on 25 June, we celebrate the international Day of the Seafarer. This year, I want  to speak about how fulfilling and rewarding a  seafaring  career  can be; and I particularly want  to address this mess age to young people, who may now be actively considering the options  open to them.

Seafaring can provide not only an opportunity to earn money to live and provide for  your families, it also offers unique opportunities to navigate the seas of the globe and encounter  the wonders of the ocean.  It offers young people the opportunity to experience a world of  real adventure  on the seas and oceans of our planet , to  interact with people from all over the  world ,  and to  experienc e the huge variety of mankind’s cultu re and heritage. Today, more than ever, seafaring is a job that demands highly trained and qualified  personnel .  Modern ships are designed and built to the highest technical standards and  require crew members with a high level of professional competence .

To  operate them safely  and efficiently is a stimulating job in a truly hi - tech workplace.  But more than that, a successful seafaring career also holds the promise of a rewarding  career  ashore , after retiring from the sea.  There is an immense selection  of  challenging and  rewarding  professions ashore  for which a career at sea provides an excellent background  – such as ship surveying and inspection , maritime pilotage, ship operations management and  many more. On the Day of the Seafarer, I wish to encourage  everybody who is already engaged in this  vital professional world to reach out to a new generation; tell them about your life and your  work; inspire and encourage them to explore for themselves a  career at sea or  elsewhere  in  the maritime industries.

Please, show your support for  our campaign, using the resources available on the  Day of the  Seafarer page on the  IMO website; and if you’re on social media,  don’t forget to share your  experiences using the campaign hashtag #CareeratSea. Together, l et us re ach  out  new  audiences and inspire a new generation of maritime experts and seafarers.

FORUM : International Day of the Seafarer - June 25

Thank you for taking part in the fifth edition of Day of the Seafarer. We are happy to report that the campaign has been a success, reaching millions across the world. More details on the campaign summary will be available shortly.

This year, IMO's Day of the Seafarer campaign aims to inspire young people to consider a career at sea and learn more about this viable and exciting profession.

This year the International Maritime Organization is shifting its focus to maritime education. We want you to consider a career at sea. Most people go to work in offices, factories and shops, but it's a different picture for seafarers: an office can be a hundred thousand-ton oil tanker or a cargo ship navigating the world’s oceans with beautiful landscapes.

The campaign shows how the multi-faceted maritime world offers a series of rich and fulfilling career opportunities for young people, both at sea and ashore.

Below you can read or download our toolkit which tells you how you can join the campaign. Watch our videos and visit our photo wall to upload your picture showing the world what a career at sea looks like.

Also, if you are on social media, you can start to spread the word, share your experiences using the campaign hashtag #CareeratSea.

Learn more about the IMO Maritime Ambassador Scheme, launched by IMO to to promote the maritime and seafaring professions and raise awareness of the positive benefits of choosing a career at sea or other maritime profession.​

International Widows' Day 2015, June 23rd.

Международный день вдов, 23 июня.

International Widows’ Day, 23 June.

Journée internationale des veuves, 23 juin.

 Día Internacional de las Viudas, 23 de junio.

国际丧偶妇女日, 6月23日.

 يوم الأرامل الدولية، 23 يونيو

United Nations Secretary-General’s Message for the International Widow's Day 2015.

Creating a world with greater equality for generations to come is the defining challenge of our times. This is especially urgent for women, who often experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Their age, income, ethnicity, disabilities and other factors can put women at greater risk of injustice.
Widows are particularly vulnerable. Many are aging and may not have worked outside of the home. The death of their partner can leave them in precarious living conditions, particularly in areas of conflict, natural disaster and humanitarian crisis.
International Widows’ Day is an opportunity to assert the rights of those whose bereavement is followed by exclusion, abuse or the loss of homes, livelihoods and social standing.
In societies that view women as whole only when they are married, widows are often disregarded or stigmatized. Without the economic and social protection of their husbands, many widows are treated as financial burdens by their families. They may lose their rights to inheritance and property, or even be forced out of their communities.
These human rights violations stem from the unjust view that women have diminished value. On International Widows’ Day, we reassert the equality of men and women.
The United Nations is working on specific measures that can help widows, and I urge other partners to join these efforts.
We must erase the social stigmatization and economic deprivation that confronts widows; eliminate their high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation; and remove the barriers to resources and economic opportunities that constrain their future. We also must advance widows’ equal rights to inheritance, property, land and other assets.
On International Widows’ Day, let us resolve to end discriminatory attitudes and take action to ensure that widows of all ages enjoy equal human rights, including the right to shape their own future and to participate fully in society. This will be an essential element in realizing our vision of a life of dignity for all.

Ban Ki-moon

FORUM : International Widow's Day - 23 June

United Nations Public Service Day 2015, June 23.

United Nations Public Service Day, June 23.

 联合国公务员日, 6月23日.

 Día de las Naciones Unidas para la Administración Pública, 23 de junio.
День государственной службы ООН, 23 июня.
Journée des Nations Unies pour la fonction publique, 23 juin.

  يوم الأمم المتحدة للخدمة العامة, 23 يونيو

Theme 2015 : “Innovating Public Service Delivery to Implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda”.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the United Nations Public Service Day 2015.

Today we celebrate the dedication of public servants everywhere. We salute their tireless efforts to provide efficient and inclusive services that are available to all.
The world faces enormous social, economic and environmental challenges. Ensuring that our public services are accountable and that our public servants are fully able to rise to the moment is vital.
This is a year for concerted global action. United Nations conferences on financing for development in July, on adopting a new set of Sustainable Development Goals in September, and the Paris Conference on Climate Change in December can help generate momentum for strengthening leadership in public services.  As we transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, Governments everywhere will need to adopt innovative and integrated approaches to promote policy change, institutional coordination, participatory decision-making, and effective, responsive, inclusive and accountable service delivery.
This year's United Nations Public Service Awards recognize that innovation and leadership contribute to better and more accountable services to local communities, including marginalized groups that are present at the commemoration of Public Service Day in Medellin, Colombia, the United Nations will recognize twenty-two public institutions for their achievements. 
On this Public Service Day, I thank all public servants for their daily efforts to make a difference. I also call upon young people everywhere to consider dedicating themselves to the noble cause of public service as we strive to build a future of dignity for all.

Ban Ki-Moon

 Forum : United Nations Public Service Day - 23 June

Events : 2015 United Nations Public Service Forum, Day and Awards Ceremony (June 23-26, 2015, Medellin, Colombia)

The 2015 United Nations Public Service Forum, Day and Awards Ceremony will take place in Medellin, Colombia at the Plaza Mayor Medellin Convention and Exhibition Center from 23 to 26 June 2015. Focusing on the theme “Innovating Public Service Delivery to Implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda”, the Forum will be organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM), in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in collaboration with the hosting Government of the Republic of Colombia.
In line with the search for Sustainable Development, the United Nations is dedicated to promoting exchange of experiences, ideas and best practices concerning innovations in governance and public administration in order to contribute to social, economic, and environmental development. The General Assembly itself has reiterated, in resolution 57/277, that particular emphasis should be given to the exchange of experience related to the role of public administration in the implementation of internationally agreed goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration. In resolution 50/225, it also underlined the importance of enhancing international cooperation in the field of public administration, including South-South and inter-regional cooperation.

• Overall Agenda at a Glance
• Information Circular
• Host country website

International Day of Yoga 2015, June 21

Día Internacional del Yoga, 21 de junio.
Международный день йоги, 21 июня.
International Day of Yoga, June 21.
Journée internationale du Yoga, 21 juin. 
国际瑜伽日, 6月21日.
 حزيران/يونيه21 -اليوم الدولي لليوغا


Theme 2015 :  Yoga for Harmony and Peace.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message on the International Day of Yoga 2015 

During a visit to India this year, I had the opportunity to practice yoga with one of my senior advisors. Although he happened to be a son of the country, I might equally have done the same with many other colleagues from different parts of the world. Yoga is an ancient discipline from a traditional setting that has grown in popularity to be enjoyed by practitioners in every region. By proclaiming 21 June as the International Day of Yoga, the General Assembly has recognized the holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations.
Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for one’s fellow human beings and for the planet we share. And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all people can practice, regardless of their relative strength, age or ability.
I discovered this for myself on trying to do my first asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for me to gain my balance but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that yoga can bring.
On this first-ever International Day of Yoga, let us see the benefits of this practice in terms of individual well-being as well as our collective efforts to improve public health, promote peaceful relations and usher in a life of dignity for all.

Ban Ki-moon

Forum :  International Day of Yoga - June 21

Events : Worldwide Celebrations

Celebration at UN Headquarters

Sunday, 21 June (10:00 to 11:30 am) at the UN Visitors Plaza Entrance, sponsored by the Mission of India to the United Nations, the event will include statements by dignitaries and a demonstration of some simple Asanas (yoga poses). Watch the live broadcast.

Solstice in Times Square

Sunday, 21 June (9:00 am to 7:30 pm)
The traditional celebration of the summer solstice in Times Square this year will include a celebration of the International Day of Yoga. For more information visit TimesSquareNYC.org/Solstice

Yoga, health & well-being

Monday, 22 June (1:00 pm to 3:00 pm)
Join United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to commemorate the first International Day of Yoga.
Place: UNFPA, 605 Third Avenue, Fifth Floor Conference Room (New York)
Organizer: UNFPA
[For more information click here] [RSPV here]
Contact information: Denise Scotto (denise.scotto@gmail.com)
 

World Refugee Day 2015, June 20

World Refugee Day, June 20
Día Mundial de los Refugiados, 20 de junio.
Всемирный день беженцев, 20 июня.
Journée mondiale des réfugiés, 20 juin.
世界难民日,6月20日.




Theme 2015 : Ordinary people living through extraordinary times.

On June 20, the world commemorates the strength, courage, and resilience of millions of refugees.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for World Refugee Day 2015, June 20.

Around the world, conflict has forced a record number of people to flee their homes. More than 50 million people are currently displaced by war and violence,so me 33.3 million in their own country and some 16.7 million as refugees, mostly in neighbouring countries. Last year alone, more than 10 million people were newly displaced; every 15 minutes,one family was forced into flight.

On this World Refugee Day, let us remember the plight of the millions of people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict and persecution. At the end of 2014, 59.5 million persons - the highest number on record - were forcibly displaced around the globe. This means that one in every 122 human beings today is either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum.

The ongoing conflict in Syria, as well as crises in Iraq, Ukraine, South Sudan, Central African Republic, northeastern Nigeria and parts of Pakistan, have led to a staggering growth and acceleration of global forced displacement. In 2014, 42,500 people became refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced every single day - a rate that has quadrupled in only four years. At the same time, many long-standing conflicts remained unresolved, and the number of refugees who were able to return home last year was the lowest in over three decades. Protracted asylum situations now last for an average of 25 years.

A growing tide of uprooted people is seeking protection from persecution and violence. Many of them have no choice but to try and reach safety using dangerous means, such as has been demonstrated by the sharp increase in irregular boat movements in the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. At times like these, it is essential that governments and societies around the world recommit to providing refuge and safety to those who have lost everything to conflict or persecution. With 86 per cent of all refugees living in the developing world, and with the humanitarian response system increasingly overstretched, international solidarity and burden-sharing are crucial in meeting the needs of displaced communities as well as their hosts.

Refugees are people like anyone else, like you and me. They led ordinary lives before becoming displaced, and their biggest dream is to be able to live normally again. On this World Refugee Day, let us recall our common humanity, celebrate tolerance and diversity and open our hearts to refugees everywhere.

Ban Ki-moon

About World Refugee Day, June 20 2015

On World Refugee Day, June 20, UNHCR commemorates the strength and resilience of the more than 50 million people around the world forced to flee their homes due to war or human rights abuses.

Ordinary people living through extraordinary times: In 2015 our World Refugee Day Campaign aims to bring the public closer to the human side of the refugee story by sharing stories of hope and resilience from displaced people. These stories will highlight the common links between we all share with refugees, returnees, IDPs and resettled refugees.



 Forum : World Refugee Day - JUNE 20

Over 40 Million individuals received life-saving support in 2014

 Our Campaign microsite www.refugeeday.org features stories from refugees who describe in their own words their own passions and interests; cooking, music, poetry, or sports. Through their testimonials we aim to show that these are ordinary people living through extraordinary times. We are asking our audiences to share the stories with their friends and family.

Events : World Refugee Day celebrations around the World.

UNHCR provides essential services to refugees in 125+ countries

 

The UN refugee agency UNHCR will launch its annual World Refugee Day Campaign on Tuesday with the release of several films featuring celebrity supporters that tell the human side of the refugee plight. This years' campaign aims to bring the public closer to the story, showing refugees as ordinary people living in extraordinary circumstances.

The films feature UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and best-selling author, Khaled Hosseini, photographer and supermodel Helena Christensen, singer/songwriter Maher Zain and actor Jung Woo-Sung . The films were recorded during recent field visits. Each supporter introduces an individual refugee and their story. These films and other refugee stories can be found on UNHCR's Campaign website: www.refugeeday.org.

Remarking on her experience in Colombia, Helena Christensen said,
"Getting to know these remarkable families made me realize that, even though they had to leave everything behind when they were forced to flee their homes, they still share so many of the same hope and dreams that we all do. They haven't lost their identity, their skills or their passions. They just long to resume a normal life."

In addition to these new films from the field, author Neil Gaiman, actor David Morrissey and actress Emma Thompson will share personal stories of refugees they have met or are in their own families. On World Refugee Day, 20 June, other UNHCR supporters including actor, model and refugee, Ger Duany, and actresses Kristin Davis and Kat Graham, will be spending time with refugees and displaced families.
This high profile support is part of a worldwide public outreach campaign for World Refugee Day 2015. UNHCR offices in some 120 countries are planning various events including the film premiere of Salam Neighbor in Washington D.C.

UNHCR will mark World Refugee Day 2015 against a backdrop of multiple conflicts, growing numbers of forcibly displaced people and a rising tide of intolerance and xenophobia in many parts of the world.

As UNHCR prepares to launch its campaign, High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said:
"All around the world we are seeing families fleeing violence. The numbers are massive – but we must not forget that these are mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. People who led ordinary lives before war forced them to flee. On this World Refugee Day, everyone should remember the things that connect all of us – our common humanity."



 

51.2 million - Statistic  Men, women and children displaced by unthinkable crises around the world

Notes to editor

Contacts
For information on the World Refugee Day Campaign and Call to Action please contact:
Leigh Foster, Chief, Events. Campaigns and Goodwill Ambassadors: Foster@unhcr.org
Simone Regge, External Relations Officer: Regge@unhcr.org
For more information and photos of UNHCR high profile supporters and Goodwill Ambassadors please contact:
Coco Campbell, Global Goodwill Ambassador programme: campbeco@unhcr.org



World Refugee Day Campaign: 30 second Public Service Announcements:

Yazidi Women Welcomed Back to the Faith :

Religious leaders break with tradition, letting women and girls rejoin the Yazidi community after surviving abduction, forced conversion and rape.

Resources

•  Protecting Refugees and the Role of UNHCR
• UN News Centre stories on refugees
• About World Refugee Day : Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons.
• UN Global Issues: Refugees
• 60 Ways the UN Makes a Difference - Humanitarian Affairs
• 1954 Nobel Peace Prize to UNHCR
• 1981 Nobel Peace Prize to UNHCR
• UNHCR Publications
• International Organization for Migration
•  Your gift allows us to help more families in need - UNHCR Donations