World Refugee Day

Refugees don’t have a choice. You do

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 43 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. World Refugee Day on June 20 highlights their plight and the efforts being made to help them.

In many cases, family members who are forced to flee have great difficulty in finding each other. But mobile phones and mobile access to internet connectivity are playing a vital role in bringing loved ones back together.

Ericsson’s commitment to using technology as a force for good is part of the reason we support the work of the UNHCR and other organizations around the world, not just on World Refugee Day but throughout the year.

Working with the Refugees United initiative, for example, Ericsson is helping refugees find their missing relatives. More than 135,000 refugees had registered with the service by May of this year. During the past few years, Ericsson has worked with partners such as Refugees United, the UNHCR, and African operator MTN to develop and deploy a mobile phone application so refugees can register to search for loved ones using a database. Find out more about Refugees United on our Refugee Reconnection page.

A special campaign site for World Refugee Day points out that refugees don’t have a choice. But you do.

World Refugee Day 2012 coincides with the first day of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, which will be held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro from June 20 to 22. UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres will attend to discuss the changing face of global displacement and its link to sustainable development – which is particularly relevant now that many refugees are fleeing from the impact of climate change.

Find out how Ericsson supports sustainable development here.