Former Iraqi President Barham Salih has been chosen to lead the UN Refugee Agency, according to well-informed sources, marking a sharp break for a post that has been dominated by European nationals since its founding after World War II.
Salih — whose appointment has not been publicly announced — beat out a slate of about a dozen candidates, including nationals from key donor countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden. He will succeed Filippo Grandi, the Italian incumbent, who will step down at the end of the year after a decade on the job. Salih will serve a five-year term, with the prospect of running for a second term.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who once ran the refugee agency himself, made the choice after narrowing down the number of candidates to a short list of three or four. The other short-listed candidates, including former IKEA chief Jesper Brodin, were all European.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
