Pretoria –The Department of Home Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will on Friday, 20 June 2014, commemorate the World Refugee Day (WRD) under the theme: “Share your Refugee Story – Celebrating 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy”.   

The partnership between the Department of Home Affairs and the UNHCR dates back to 1993 following the signing of a watershed Memorandum of Understanding aimed at institutionalising the refugee regime in the country in accordance with international law. This created impetus for the subsequent accession to various international agreements relating to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers, notably the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa.

On 04 December 2000, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution declaring 20 June World Refugee Day to mark the 50th Anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

World Refugee Day is thus celebrated annually to honour the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threats of persecution, conflict and violence. On this day, the international community seeks to draw attention to the plight of refugees and celebrate their courage and resilience. 

South Africa is committed to securing legal protection of refugees as provided for under international law, and also informed by the rights in the country’s entrenched Bill of Rights.

The UNHCR’s global campaign for 2014, in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs and other key stakeholders, continues to emphasise the impact of war and individual persecution on families and places individual refugee family stories at the centre of all WRD activities. Maintaining the focus on the family allows for flexibility to talk about tolerance towards refugees in their host countries. The campaign encompasses all forcibly displaced populations and keeps the message of survival, finding hope and building a better future at the heart of communications in this regard.

The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs, Mr Mkuseli Apleni and the UNHCR Regional Representative for Southern Africa, Ms Clementine Nkweta-Salami, will address the main event. They will be supported by the Acting Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Mr Terence Mashego.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CORMSA) will deliver messages of support during the event.

Members of the media are invited as follows:

EVENT: World Refugee Day

DATE: Friday, 20 June 2014

VENUE:Akasia Community Hall, 120 Disotus Avenue, Akasia, (Opposite Wonderpark Shopping       Mall)

TIME: 10H00

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Tina Ghelli, UNHCR on (012) 392 1612/ 082 770 4189 and Thabo Mokgola, Department of Home Affairs on 071 712 9710

Issued by Department of Home Affairs