Secretary-General Welcomes Election by General Assembly of Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomes today’s action by the General Assembly to elect Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for a term of five years. Mr. Salih will succeed Filippo Grandi of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude for his leadership and tireless efforts in protecting refugees, displaced persons and stateless people.
Having served as President of Iraq (2018–2022), with a career spanning more than three decades of governmental service in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Salih brings senior diplomatic, political and administrative leadership experience, including engagement with international and regional institutions, with human rights and humanitarian vision and experience, including as refugee and crisis negotiator, and architect of national reforms.
He served twice as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (2001–2004; 2009–2012) and as Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (2004–2009), concurrently serving as Minister for Planning (2004–2006). He played a central role in Iraq’s post-2003 reconstruction and economic recovery, including negotiation of the International Compact with Iraq with the United Nations and the World Bank.
Mr. Salih currently serves as a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, United States, and as Leadership Fellow (non-resident) at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
Founder and Chairman of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, Mr. Salih holds a PhD in statistics and computer applications in engineering from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, and a BSc in civil engineering from Cardiff University, United Kingdom. In addition to his native Kurdish and Arabic, he is fluent in English.
