World Refugee Day
A/RES/55/76
A/RES/55/76
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
World Refugee Day is the United Nations-designated international day held on 20 June to honour refugees around the world and draw attention to the rights, needs and aspirations of people who have been forced to flee their countries because of conflict or persecution.
The day is both a public-awareness observance and an opportunity to support refugee inclusion. Good coverage centers refugees as people with agency, skills, families and varied experiences rather than reducing them to crisis imagery.
Why it matters
World Refugee Day matters because forced displacement can separate people from homes, livelihoods, schools, communities and legal protections. The observance creates a recurring moment for public attention while emphasizing that protection and inclusion are year-round responsibilities.
Activities are strongest when refugees and refugee-led organizations have a meaningful voice in how stories are told, what support is useful and which priorities deserve attention.
History
The United Nations General Assembly designated 20 June as World Refugee Day in 2000. UNHCR records that the day was observed globally for the first time on 20 June 2001, the year of the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
The choice of 20 June aligned the global observance with Africa Refugee Day, which was already widely observed on that date. UNHCR described the global designation as an expression of solidarity with Africa and its long experience hosting refugees.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Africa Refugee Day
The UN General Assembly selected the same date for World Refugee Day beginning in 2001 after the Organization of African Unity agreed that the international day could coincide with Africa Refugee Day.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/76
First documented observance
UNHCR records that World Refugee Day was observed globally for the first time on 20 June 2001.
UNHCR
UNHCR leads global World Refugee Day observance and refugee-focused materials.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Ways to observe
Attend an event led by refugees, refugee-led organizations or local resettlement and support groups.
Learn the difference between refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced people and migrants using a reliable humanitarian or legal source.
Support a reputable organization providing legal help, language learning, education, housing support or employment services for displaced people.
Challenge misinformation with verified information without sharing identifiable details about displaced people who have not consented to publicity.
Invite refugee voices into school or community programming in ways that respect privacy, safety and compensation for people’s time and expertise.
Useful facts
World Refugee Day is observed every year on 20 June.
The United Nations designated the international day in 2000.
The first global observance took place in 2001.
The 2001 observance coincided with the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
UNHCR frames the day around the rights, needs and aspirations of refugees.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
UNHCR — Why a World Refugee Day? (2000) (opens in a new tab)
UNHCR — World Refugee Day (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/55/76 (opens in a new tab)
unhcr.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Refugee Day?
20 June The stored recurrence guidance is: 20 June.
Does World Refugee Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Refugee Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations / UNHCR international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Refugee Day?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as UNHCR.
Is World Refugee Day international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations / UNHCR international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is World Refugee Day?
World Refugee Day is observed every year on 20 June.
Why is World Refugee Day on 20 June?
UNHCR records that Africa Refugee Day was already widely observed on 20 June, and the UN chose the same date for the global observance as an expression of solidarity with Africa.
Who established World Refugee Day?
The United Nations General Assembly designated the international day in 2000, and the first global observance took place in 2001.
How can I mark World Refugee Day respectfully?
Prioritize refugee-led voices, use accurate terminology, protect people’s privacy and support practical inclusion or protection work through credible organizations.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
Is World Refugee Day the same as World Humanitarian Day?
World Refugee Day specifically centers refugees and displacement. World Humanitarian Day has a broader humanitarian-action focus and also recognizes the risks faced by aid workers.
Open World Humanitarian Day →Distinction sources
Other observances on June 20
These records also resolve to June 20, 2027 under the current authority data.
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