On 12 February 2001, the United Nations General Assembly decided that, as from 2001, June 20 would be celebrated as World Refugee Day. Why June 20? Before 2001, and for many years, June 20 marked the Africa Refugee Day. Africa was the only continent to have such a celebration. The General Assembly, by choosing June 20 for World Refugee Day, thought that Africa’s generosity towards refugees, in spite of a dire economic situation and many pockets of political instability, could serve as a model for the rest of the World.