Headlines
UN elects former Iraqi President to lead UN refugee agency
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Barham Salih, former Iraqi President, has been elected as the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees, succeeding Filippo Grandi in 2026.
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday elected Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president who fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, as the next U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Salih was elected without a vote by the 193-member assembly after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nominated him to succeed Italy’s Filippo Grandi, who has led the agency since 2016.
Salih will begin a five year term on January 1, 2026.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Editing by Franklin Paul)
The High Commissioner for Refugees is the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), responsible for protecting and supporting refugees and displaced persons worldwide.
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945, aimed at promoting peace, security, and cooperation among countries to address global challenges.
A refugee is a person who has fled their country due to persecution, war, or violence and cannot return safely. They often seek asylum in other countries.
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