Attributable to Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, conveys its appreciation to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for signing Proclamation No. 265 series of 2023 declaring 20 June of every year as National Refugee Day.
This Proclamation is a testament to the Philippines’ strong commitment to its legacy of “opening its doors to those who seek safety, and promoting an environment suitable for people forced to flee their countries of origin, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness.”
The President enjoins all agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, including government-owned or –controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, all local government units, non-government organizations, civil society groups, Philippines-based UN agencies, and the private sector “to actively participate and render the necessary support and assistance for the effective implementation” of the Proclamation. In particular, the observance of the National Refugee Day is deemed necessary to uphold and respect the rights of the refugees and stateless persons and promote awareness of their predicament.
The signing of this Proclamation could not have been more timely, given the ever-increasing number of people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes in fear of war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses.
UNHCR’s flagship annual report, Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022, which was released just last week, showed that by the end of last year we saw the biggest ever increase in the number of people forcibly displaced all over the world, standing at a record 108.4 million, an increase of 19.1 million on a year earlier. This figure has further surged in a matter of five months and stands at 110 million as of May this year.
This rapid increase highlights the need for stronger efforts from all of us to remove the obstacles that are preventing the forcibly displaced from finding safety and rebuilding their lives in dignity.
Here in the Philippines, we hope that the Proclamation helps sustain and further amplify the advocacy for the inclusion and access to opportunities of people forced to flee.
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ABOUT UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
In the Philippines, UNHCR has maintained a presence for over 40 years, working on three pillars: providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
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