Zagreb, 11 June 2010, starting with Monday 14th and finishing on 20th of June,UNHCR Croatia celebrates the World Refugee Day with a series of events and an awareness raising campaign.

During the celebratory week, UNHCR were kindly granted media space on HTV, Nova TV and RTL l national broadcasters and Blitz-Cinestar and Movieplex cinemas to air the video clip featuring UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie's message of support for the plight of 43.3 million people uprooted by conflict and persecution in the world.

Media are kindly invited to participate or cover the following events:

On 14th June UNHCR organized with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) a roundtable named "Integration of persons granted protection in the Republic of Croatia - Achievements and challenges", that will be held in the Croatian Journalists Home (HND), Perkovčeva 2, Zagreb. The roundtable will start at 10.00 with the opening remarks of Mr. Wilfried Buchhorn, UNHCR, Representative, Mr. Ivica Buconjić, Ministry of Interior, State Secretary in the MoI and Mr. Slobodan Uzelac, Vice-president of the Government of Croatia. The roundtable gathers experts from competent governmental and non-governmental organization involved in the process of integration of refugees who were granted protection under the Law on Asylum in Croatia.

On 15th June, UNHCR will release the 2009 Global Trends Report, a document which reviews statistical trends and patterns of conflict-related displacements and stateless persons in the world.

On 17th June a billboard campaign in Zagreb, kindly sponsored by Europlakat d.o.o., will introduce this year's World Refugee day theme: "They took away my home but they can't take away my future". Those that flee from conflict and persecution no longer have their home, nevertheless, with joint efforts and support their future can be assured.

On 17th June UNHCR has invited representatives from donor countries Australia, US, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands as well as Croatian Government to celebrate with the people and communities they have assisted in re-establishing livelihoods. The group will visit projects in Gracac and Lika area, surrounding of Knin and Zadar hinterlands. The UNHCR Representative, Mr Wilfried Buchhorn and the representatives of donor countries will be available for the media in Kasic, at the home of Mr Alavanja, President of "Visnja" cooperative at 15.15h.

On 17th June, the UNHCR will participate at a roundtable organized on the occasion of the World Refugee Day by the Coalition for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights at 11.00 at the Congress Hall of Pakrac Hotel in Pakrac. The Head of the Return and Reintegration Unit of UNHCR, Mr. Mario Pavlovic, will present the UN Refugee Agency's views and findings on the issue of refugees in the region and the remaining challenges..

On 19th June, Under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Jadranka Kosor, UNHCR co-organized with MoI and the Croatian Red Cross (CRC) the main World Refugee Day celebratory event in an open day of the Kutina's Reception Center for Asylum Seekers. Apart from the Minister of Internal Affairs, CRC President and the UNHCR representative, other high Government officials are expected to participate at the event marking this year's World Refugee Day. The event will start at 9.45 in the Reception Center in Kutina and media are invited to participate.

SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO GIVE HOPE AND PROTECTION. ON 20 JUNE - THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY - WE REMEMBER THOSE THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.