UN Elects Former Iraqi President Barham Salih as New UNHCR High Commissioner

Salih is expected to assume office on 1 January 2026, taking up his post at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. He will succeed Grandi, who will complete his 10-year term on 31 December 2025.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has welcomed the election of Barham Salih, former President of Iraq, as the next head of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The decision was made by the UN General Assembly in New York after a competitive, multi-country selection process.

Salih is expected to assume office on 1 January 2026, taking up his post at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. He will succeed Grandi, who will complete his 10-year term on 31 December 2025.

A Leader with First-Hand Experience of Displacement

Grandi praised Salih’s extensive experience in public service and his ability to navigate complex humanitarian and political environments.

“Barham Salih brings decades of high-level public service, marked by steady leadership and thoughtful diplomacy,” Grandi said. Coming from a country deeply affected by conflict, mass displacement and persecution, Salih has first-hand insight into the struggles faced by millions of refugees around the world.

Grandi emphasized that Salih’s background makes him well prepared to lead the agency at a time marked by record-high global displacement, driven by crises in Sudan, Gaza, Myanmar, Ukraine, the DRC and beyond.

A Decade of Leadership Under Filippo Grandi

Filippo Grandi has served as High Commissioner since January 2016, overseeing UNHCR’s response to some of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history, including:

• The Syria conflict and regional refugee emergency

• The full-scale war in Ukraine

• The Sudan crisis and its cross-border effects

• Major displacement situations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Venezuela and Myanmar

Under his leadership, UNHCR expanded protection efforts, strengthened emergency response systems, and deepened cooperation with host countries and partners. Even amid significant funding cuts in 2024–2025, the agency remains operational in 128 countries, with nearly 90 per cent of its 14,600 staff based in the field, close to the people it serves.

UNHCR Marks 75 Years of Protecting People Forced to Flee

The transition comes as UNHCR marks 75 years since its establishment in 1950. Over its history, the agency has helped tens of millions of people who were forced to flee war, persecution, and violence, expanding from an initial three-year mandate into one of the United Nations’ most critical humanitarian institutions.

With displacement at record levels and humanitarian needs growing more complex, the agency faces increasing challenges—including shrinking budgets, political pressures, and rising hostility toward refugees in many parts of the world.

Looking Ahead to a New Chapter

Grandi expressed confidence in his successor, noting that Salih’s leadership and international credibility will strengthen UNHCR’s ability to respond to ongoing and emerging crises.

“His background and experience make him well suited to lead UNHCR at a time of large-scale displacement and increasingly complex humanitarian and political challenges,” Grandi said.

As the agency enters a new era, Salih will be tasked with steering UNHCR through turbulent global conditions, supporting displaced populations worldwide, and ensuring that humanitarian principles remain at the heart of international action.