The United Nations General Assembly has elected Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He will serve a five-year term and is expected to take office on 1 January 2026, based in Geneva.
Salih will succeed Filippo Grandi of Italy, who led the agency for ten years. The appointment followed a competitive international selection process and comes at a time when the world is facing record levels of displacement and growing pressure on humanitarian funding.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the decision and thanked Grandi for his long service in protecting refugees, displaced people, and stateless persons.
Barham Salih previously served as President of Iraq from 2018 to 2022. He has also held senior positions including Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, and Minister of Planning. He played a key role in Iraq’s post-2003 reconstruction and worked closely with international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank.
UNHCR said Salih brings strong diplomatic, political, and administrative experience, along with personal experience as a former refugee, which adds a unique perspective to his leadership.
In his first statement after the election, Salih said his top priorities will be protecting the rights and dignity of refugees, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of UNHCR operations, and working closely with governments and partners to find lasting solutions so that displacement does not become permanent.
He stressed that with limited resources and rising global needs, UNHCR must focus on accountability, impact, and value for money, while mobilizing support from public, private, and humanitarian partners.
UNHCR currently operates in 128 countries and employs more than 14,600 staff, most of whom work directly in the field supporting refugees and displaced communities.
