43.7 Million

Photo by Nicolas Rost/UNHCR

43.7 million is the number of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people around the world according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nation’s Refugee Agency.

June 20^th, this coming Wednesday, is World Refugee Day, as declared by the United Nations.

From the UNHCR report, The 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees:

“States are responsible for protecting the fundamental human rights of their citizens.  When they are unable or unwilling to do so — often for political reasons or based on discrimination — individuals may suffer such serious violations of their human rights that they have to leave their homes, their families and their communities to find sanctuary in another country.  Since, by definition, refugees are not protected by their own governments, the international community steps in to ensure they are safe and protected.”

“Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world.  The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect them.  They clarify the rights of refugees and the obligations of the 148 states that are party to one or both of these instruments.”

History of the legal framework for protecting refugees:

“In the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918), millions of people fled their homelands in search of refuge.  Governments responded by drawing up a set of international agreements to provide travel documents for these people who were, effectively, the first refugees of the 20^th century.  Their numbers increased dramatically during and after World War II (1939-1945), as millions more were forcibly displaced, deported and/or resettled.

Throughout the 20^th century, the international community steadily assembled a set of guidelines, laws and conventions to ensure the adequate treatment of refugees and protect their human rights.  The process began under the League of Nations in 1921.  In July, 1951, a diplomatic conference in Geneva adopted the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Convention) which was later amended by the 1967 Protocol.  These documents clearly spell out who is a refugee and the kind of legal protection, other assistance and social rights a refugee is entitled to receive.  It also defines a refugee’s obligations to host countries and specifies certain categories of people, such as war criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status.  Initially, the 1951 Convention was more or less limited to protecting European refugees in the aftermath of World War II, but the 1967 Protocol expanded its scope as the problem of displacement spread around the world.”

Here’s a link to some of what’s happening around the world to mark the day and recognize the plight of refugees around the world.

If you’re in the United States this link will take you to events scheduled around the country.  Mark the date on your calendar and check out this list of events around the country put together by UNHCR