19 Dec 2025 - 08:42
The Kabul Tribune (KT) - Former Iraqi President Barham Salih has been appointed as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN General Assembly confirmed on Thursday.
Salih, 65, becomes the first UN refugee chief from the Middle East since the 1970s. He succeeds Filippo Grandi, the Italian diplomat who has led UNHCR since 2016.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also welcomed the decision by the General Assembly.
Salih’s appointment carries personal significance. As a young Kurdish activist, he was arrested twice by Iraq’s Baath Party under Saddam Hussein in 1979 for his involvement in the Kurdish national movement and spent 43 days in prison. He later fled Iraq and sought refuge in the United Kingdom, where he began his studies in engineering. Following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government, Salih returned to Iraq and went on to serve in several senior government positions, including as president from 2018 to 2022.
Reacting to his appointment, Salih said his own experience as a refugee would shape his leadership of the agency.
“I am honoured to have been elected as the incoming United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,” Salih said in a statement. “As a former refugee, I know first-hand how protection and opportunity can change the course of a life. That experience will inform a leadership approach grounded in empathy, pragmatism, and a principled commitment to international law.”
He said his top priority would be refugees and others forced to flee, with a focus on protecting their rights, dignity, and access to lasting solutions so that displacement does not become permanent.
Salih takes office at a time when global displacement has reached record levels, while UNHCR is facing significant funding shortfalls. He acknowledged the strain on humanitarian resources and called for renewed efforts to improve efficiency and accountability.
“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, adding that responsibility must be shared among governments, partners, and donors.
He thanked Guterres and the General Assembly for their confidence, and paid tribute to Grandi’s leadership during what he described as a period of “extraordinary global challenge.”
Salih said he looks forward to working closely with UNHCR staff, host countries, humanitarian partners, and refugees themselves to advance protection and durable solutions suited to the challenges of the 21st century.
