From refugee to UNHCR High Commissioner: The inspiring journey of Barham Salih

In a remarkable chapter for global humanitarian leadership, Dr Barham Ahmed Salih, the former President of Iraq, has been elected as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the world’s leading advocate for displaced people. His appointment, confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly in December, marks not only a personal achievement but a powerful symbol of resilience, representation, and purpose. He will begin his five-year term in Geneva on January 1, succeeding long-serving commissioner Filippo Grandi.

Beyond its individual significance, Salih’s election has captured global attention because it touches on a long standing debate over leadership representation within the United Nations system. While the UN serves a world in which the majority of conflict affected populations come from the Middle East, Asia, and Muslim-majority countries, many of its most influential leadership positions, particularly in humanitarian and security institutions, have historically been held by officials from Europe and North America. Only a limited number of senior UN roles have been occupied by figures from these regions, despite their bearing a disproportionate share of displacement and humanitarian crises. Salih’s elevation to the helm of UNHCR, therefore, represents more than a professional milestone; it signals a gradual yet meaningful shift toward leadership that reflects the lived realities of those the organization is mandated to protect.

A life shaped by displacement

Born in 1960 in Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province, Salih’s early life was marked by political struggle and personal risk. As a young Kurdish activist in the late 1970s, he was arrested twice by Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime for his involvement in the Kurdish national movement, spending 43 days in detention where he endured harsh conditions. Following his release, he fled Iraq to avoid further persecution, beginning his first experience of displacement and setting the stage for his future work in humanitarian advocacy.

In the United Kingdom, Salih pursued higher education, earning a degree in civil engineering from Cardiff University and a doctorate in statistics and engineering applications from the University of Liverpool, preparing him for leadership roles in both academic and political spheres.

From Iraqi statesman to international leader

With the fall of Hussein’s regime in 2003, Salih returned to Iraq and quickly rose through the political ranks. His decades-long public service includes roles such as Kurdistan Region’s prime minister and deputy prime minister and the president of Iraq (2018-2022). 

These positions placed him at the crossroads of governance, reform, and humanitarian concern in one of the world’s most conflict-affected regions.

As president, Salih navigated Iraq through post-Islamic State recovery, political instability, and efforts toward national reconciliation, enhancing his reputation as a thoughtful reformer and consensus builder.

A historic appointment at the UNHCR

Salih’s election as High Commissioner is historic. He is the first leader from the Middle East and one of the few non-Western figures to head UNHCR in decades. His selection by consensus from the 193-member UN General Assembly reflects broad confidence in his diplomatic experience and humanitarian insight.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, himself a former head of the refugee agency, highlighted Salih’s “senior diplomatic, political and administrative leadership experience,” noting that his journey from personal hardship to international statesmanship uniquely positions him to lead the agency at a time of unparalleled global need.

In his own words, Salih has said that his lived experience as a refugee will “inform a leadership approach grounded in empathy, pragmatism, and a principled commitment to international law,” a philosophy he intends to bring to an agency facing historic challenges, including record levels of displacement and persistent funding shortfalls.

Global challenges ahead

As High Commissioner, Salih will lead UNHCR’s efforts to protect and support millions of refugees, internally displaced people, asylum seekers, and stateless persons worldwide. The organization operates in more than 120 countries and remains at the forefront of responses to crises in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, even as global displacement figures reach unprecedented levels.

Salih’s appointment comes at a moment when the refugee crisis is not only growing in scale but also increasingly politicized. Meeting this challenge will require innovative diplomacy, renewed international solidarity, and leadership shaped by lived experience. His journey, from displacement to global leadership, serves as a powerful reminder that refugee protection is not merely a policy concern, but a moral imperative rooted in shared humanity.

A moment that demands action

As High Commissioner, Salih will lead UNHCR at a time when global displacement has reached unprecedented levels and humanitarian norms face mounting political pressure. Conflicts are longer, funding gaps are wider, and the principle of asylum is increasingly contested. Meeting these challenges will require more than technical management; it will demand moral clarity, political courage, and sustained international commitment.

Salih’s appointment offers the international community an opportunity, not a conclusion. Governments, donors, and multilateral institutions must match the symbolism of his leadership with tangible support: renewed funding, fairer responsibility, sharing, and policies that uphold the rights and dignity of displaced people. His journey from refugee to global humanitarian leader is a powerful reminder that protection works when the world chooses solidarity over indifference. The test now lies not only in his leadership, but in whether the international community is prepared to act


Professor Mohammed Ihsan is a distinguished Kurdish academic, genocide expert, former KRG minister, and international advisor with a career spanning over two decades in law, diplomacy, and post-conflict reconstruction. He teaches at Yale University. 


The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.