Former Iraqi president Barham Salih, 65, was confirmed by consensus as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the first Middle Easterner to hold the post since the late 1970s. Recommended by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Salih brings diplomatic and administrative experience as well as personal experience as a refugee. He will succeed Filippo Grandi on Jan. 1 and faces the twin challenges of record global displacement and severe funding shortfalls that have forced U.N. spending cuts.
UN Names Former Iraqi President Barham Salih As New Head Of UN Refugee Agency
FILE - Barham Salih, President of Iraq addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (Timothy A. Clary /Pool Photo via AP, file)
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday confirmed former Iraqi president Barham Salih as the next U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, making him the first person from the Middle East to hold the post since the late 1970s.
Salih, 65, a Kurdish politician and former Iraqi head of state, was elected by consensus in a 193-member Assembly session. Assembly President Annalena Baerbock brought down the gavel to formalize the decision, and diplomats in the chamber broke into applause.
Endorsement and Qualifications
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, himself a former refugee chief who recommended Salih for the post, praised his 'senior diplomatic, political and administrative leadership experience,' noting Salih's background as 'a refugee, crisis negotiator and architect of national reforms.' The endorsement highlighted both Salih's personal experience and his record in public office.
Personal and Political Background
At 19, in 1979, Salih was reportedly detained twice by Saddam Hussein's Baath Party on accusations of involvement in the Kurdish national movement and spent 43 days in custody. After his release he completed high school and fled to the United Kingdom to avoid further persecution.
After Saddam's removal by a U.S.-led coalition in 2003, Salih returned to Iraq and served in a series of government roles. He was elected president of Iraq in 2018 amid the aftermath of the Islamic State group's territorial campaign and the fighting to retake seized areas, and he served until 2022.
Transition and Immediate Challenges
Salih will succeed Filippo Grandi, whose second five-year term ends on Dec. 31. Salih's five-year mandate begins Jan. 1 and will place him at the helm of the Geneva-based U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at a critical moment.
Salih said his experience as a refugee 'will inform a leadership approach grounded in empathy, pragmatism, and a principled commitment to international law.'
He inherits an agency confronting historic displacement levels and severe funding shortfalls. The U.N. system has already cut spending and eliminated thousands of jobs after sharp declines in foreign aid contributions from the United States and other Western donors, creating urgent pressures on refugee protection and humanitarian operations worldwide.
Priorities
Salih has signaled a focus on impact, accountability and efficiency as priorities for UNHCR. Observers expect him to emphasize partnerships, resource mobilization and pragmatic reforms to help the agency respond to record displacement while managing constrained budgets.
As Salih prepares to assume office, global humanitarian actors will be watching how his personal experience and political background translate into policies to protect refugees and sustain humanitarian efforts under growing strain.
