GENEVA, Dec 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – The United Nations General Assembly, yesterday, elected former Iraqi President, Barham Salih, as the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Salih, born in 1960, served as president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022. He previously held posts including deputy prime minister of Iraq and prime minister of the Kurdistan regional government.
He will take office on Jan 1, 2026, to succeed Filippo Grandi as head of the Geneva-headquartered UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with a five-year term. Grandi assumed office as UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Jan, 2016. His 10-year term will end on Dec 31, 2025.
In a statement issued following his election, Salih said that, at a time of record displacement and severe pressure on humanitarian resources, delivering on UNHCR’s mandate requires a renewed focus on impact, accountability, and efficiency.
He said that, UNHCR will build on the important reforms undertaken in recent years, to strengthen operational effectiveness and value for money.– NNN-XINHUA