"I am honored to have been elected as the incoming United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees," Barham Salih said in a December 18 statement.

Salih was selected after a competitive process in New York that attracted candidates from various countries and will be based in Geneva, once he takes up his offce.

"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 added.

"My foremost responsibility will be to refugees and others forced to flee — upholding their rights and dignity and advancing durable solutions so that displacement remains a temporary situation, not a permanent fate."

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'Renewed focus on impact, accountability and efficiency'

"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," Salih added.

"This is a shared responsibility. UNHCR will build on the important reforms undertaken in recent years to strengthen operational effectiveness and value for money. I will work with Member States and partners across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to mobilize the capacity, resources, and collective will needed to reach those most in need."

In his statement,Salih continued: "I am grateful to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and to the General Assembly for their confidence, and to Filippo Grandi for his principled and tireless leadership during a period of extraordinary global challenge."

"I look forward to working closely with UNHCR's dedicated staff, states, partners, host communities, and, most importantly, refugees themselves to advance protection and durable solutions fit for both the promise and the perils of the 21st century."

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Grandi welcomes Salih as his successor

Current United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi welcomed Salih's election as his successor to lead UNHCR in a press release on the same day.

"Barham Salih brings decades of high-level public service, marked by steady leadership and thoughtful diplomacy. Coming from a country recently marked by conflict, persecution and displacement, he has first-hand experience of the challenges many refugees face today," Grandi said in a statement posted online.

"His background and experience make him well suited to lead UNHCR at a time of large-scale displacement and increasingly complex humanitarian and political challenges," added Grandi.

Grandi's 10-year tenure as High Commissioner will conclude on December 31, 2025. He became High Commissioner in January 2016 and has since led UNHCR's response to major displacement crises worldwide, including in Syria, Ukraine and Sudan.

Despite deep cuts in humanitarian funding this year, UNHCR remains present in 128 countries with nearly 90 per cent of its more than 14,600 staff working in the field.

This month, UNHCR marks 75 years of protecting people forced to flee, the body noted in the press release.

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