World Refugee Day

20 June is World Refugee Day, a day when the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, tries to focus worldwide attention on the plight of millions of refugees and displaced people around the world.

Manpower’s support for the UNHCR grows out of the company’s values around people and the role of work in their lives. Manpower joined the UNHCR’s Council of Business Leaders at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in 2005. The Council is a network of major multinational corporations committed to developing partnerships with the UNHCR to empower forcibly displaced people and help find durable solutions for them. It is now comprised of Manpower, Microsoft, Nike, PricewaterhouseCoopers and WPP.

"Our partnership with Manpower illustrates how public-private partnerships can make a difference in the daily lives of refugees, including in the context of major outreach events like World Refugee Day. As a member of UNHCR’s Council of Business Leaders, Manpower is one of our key corporate partners and its growing support to UNHCR is highly appreciated and valued," said Olivier Delarue, UNHCR Head of International Corporate and Foundation Partnerships.

In 2006, with the support of Manpower, its employees and the Council of Business Leaders, the UNHCR launched its ninemillion.org campaign, which provides the world's refugee youth with the chance to change their futures through education and sports. Since the launch of the campaign, Manpower has been a key partner in making ninemillion.org a success through its worldwide efforts to raise awareness and encourage fund-raising and designating ninemillion.org one of its Corporate Social Responsibility priorities.

In February, Manpower President of Corporate and Government Affairs David Arkless represented Manpower on a UNHCR field mission to refugee settlements in Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa to witness the plight of refugees first-hand and identify how Manpower can help them regain the dignity of work. To view David's reports and photography, click here.

To learn more about World Refugee Day 2009 and to watch the High Commissioner's message click here.