20 June 2011: In a message to celebrate World Refugee Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that since the establishment of the UN refugee agency 60 years ago, the major cause of displacement has been war and prolonged conflicts. He further stressed that nowadays, reasons for displacement also include “extreme poverty, environmental degradation, climate change and the growing and complex interrelationship between these factors and conflict.”

Also to mark the Day, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) unveiled its 2010 Global Trends report, which indicates that many of the world’s poorest countries are disproportionately hosting large refugee populations, both in absolute terms and in relation to the size of their economies. In addition, UNHCR has started rolling out the multimedia “One” campaign – focusing on the theme “One Refugee Without Hope is Too Many.” [World Refugee Day Website] [UN Secretary-General’s Message] [UNHCR Press Release] [UN Press Release]