World Refugee Day 2007 National Activities: Ethiopia

Events linked to WRD, including sports contests, literary competitions and awareness campaigns, were held from early June in the country's six refugee camps and among the refugee community in Addis Ababa.

A high-level African Union delegation, accompanied by the media, visited two refugee camps on 13-15 June in connection with World Refugee Day. The delegation gave awards to outstanding refugee students in a bid to promote education for refugee children.

On 18 June, a documentary on the repatriation of a Burundian girl was screened at the Alliance Ethiopia-Française. This was followed by a panel discussion on durable solutions in which UNHCR took part.

On 19 June, nine refugees from different camps and the urban refugee community in Addis Ababa set up a "Refugee Arts & Crafts Market/Exhibition".

On 20 June, World Refugee Day was commemorated at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa. There were speeches, singing and refugee testimonies as well as a market/exhibition by refugees, cultural activities, music and Ethiopian dancing. In attendance were diplomats, representatives of NGOs, heads of UN agencies, Ethiopian government officials as well as officials and staff of AU and UNHCR.