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UN Secretary-General: â€œThe number of refugees has grown to more than 16 million worldwideâ€

19 June 2008 10:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ilhama Isabalayeva-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to the world countries on occasion of June 20 â€“ World Refugee Day, UN Office in Azerbaijan told APA. The message notes that since 1951, human displacement has become a far more complex issue. Population flows are now driven by interrelated factors and, as barriers to human mobility have fallen, protecting the displaced has become a greater challenge. The Secretary-General says that in the past year, the number of refugees has grown to more than 16 million worldwide.
â€œI urgently call on the international community to redouble efforts to address both the causes and consequences of forced human displacement. Our goal must be no less than to ensure that refugees will be free one day to return home, in safety and dignity. But on World Refugee Day, let us first reaffirm that all refugees have the right to asylum, and let us do everything we can to give them the full protection they deserve,â€ the message says.