UNIS/SGSM/1322
19 June 2023
During my decade as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, I witnessed the resilience and contributions of refugees across all walks of life.
Their perseverance in the face of adversity inspires me every day.
Refugees represent the very best of the human spirit.
They need and deserve support and solidarity — not closed borders and pushbacks.
As we mark World Refugee Day, we confront a startling statistic.
More than 100 million people living in countries rocked by conflict, persecution, hunger and climate chaos have been forced to flee their homes.
These are not numbers on a page.
These are individual women, children and men making difficult journeys — often facing violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse.
This Day reminds us of our duty to protect and support refugees — and our obligation to open more avenues of support.
This includes solutions to resettle refugees and to help them rebuild their lives in dignity.
We need greater international support for host countries, as called for by the Global Compact for Refugees, to boost access to quality education, decent work, health care, housing and social protection.
And we need much stronger political will to make peace, so refugees can return safely to their homes.
This year’s theme is “Hope Away from Home.”
I call on the world to harness the hope that refugees carry in their hearts.
Let’s match their courage with the opportunities they need, every step of the way.
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We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
