Barham Salih takes the oath as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony at the United Nations in Geneva, March 2026.
Barham Salih sworn in as UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva
GENEVA — Former Iraqi president Barham Salih took the legal oath as the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Monday in Geneva, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres presiding over the ceremony.
Salih pledged to carry out his duties independently and in line with UN principles. “I, Barham Ahmed Saleh, solemnly declare and promise to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as an international civil servant of the United Nations,” he said. He added that he would “regulate my conduct with the interests of the United Nations only in view” and pledged “not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any government or other sources external to the organization.”
Guterres welcomed Salih warmly, praising his background and commitment to humanitarian causes. “May I say that it is with an enormous pleasure and great honour to see you as High Commissioner for Refugees,” he said. “I see in you the freedom fighter that I remember. I see in you the statesman. And I see you, a man that dedicated all his life to the right causes in very difficult circumstances.”
Guterres added that Salih’s personal experience gives special meaning to the role. “To have an ex-refugee as High Commissioner for Refugees is I think in itself an extraordinary victory for the United Nations,” he said.
Salih said he was mindful of the responsibility entrusted to him. “I am truly mindful of the great responsibility and honour that you have entrusted in me and I am very keen and very determined to deliver on the mission of UNHCR,” he said. He described the agency’s work as vital for displaced people, adding that refugees should “have their agency, to contribute to humanity and not to be just seen as victims.”
The ceremony took place at the United Nations in Geneva, where UNHCR is headquartered. Salih’s appointment comes as the agency continues to respond to displacement crises affecting millions of people globally.