The General Assembly elects former Iraqi President Barham Salih to the position of High Commissioner for Refugees

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, congratulated Mr. Barham Salih on his election as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and said that she looked forward to working with him.

In turn, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, welcomed the General Assembly’s decision today to elect Barham Ahmed Saleh as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for a period of five years.

Mr. Saleh will succeed Mr. Filippo Grandi of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his deep gratitude for his leadership and tireless efforts in protecting refugees, displaced persons and stateless persons.

High-level leadership experience

The Secretary-General said in a statement that Mr. Saleh has more than three decades of experience in government service in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and high-level leadership experience in the diplomatic, political and administrative fields, including work with international and regional institutions, as well as his vision and experience in the field of human rights and humanitarian work, including his work as a refugee, crisis negotiator and architect of national reforms.

Mr. Barham served as President of Iraq (2018-2022), and also served as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government twice (2001-2004; 2009-2012), and as Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (2004-2009), simultaneously with his tenure as Minister of Planning (2004-2006).

He played a pivotal role in Iraq’s reconstruction and economic recovery after 2003, including negotiating the international agreement with Iraq with the United Nations and the World Bank.

Mr. Saleh is currently a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, USA, and a Lead Fellow (non-resident) at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, USA.

Mr. Barham Salih is the founder and president of the American University of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah, and holds a doctorate in statistics and computer applications in engineering from the University of Liverpool, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cardiff University, UK. He is fluent in English in addition to his mother tongue, Kurdish and Arabic.