Mr. Barham Salih became the 12th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 1 January 2026.

As High Commissioner, he heads one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations. UNHCR has twice won the Nobel Peace Prize. Its 14,500-strong workforce spans 128 countries providing protection and assistance to over 117 million refugees, returnees, internally displaced people as well as stateless people. Some 80 per cent of UNHCR staff work in operational settings, often in difficult and dangerous duty stations. The organization's needs-based budget for 2025 is US$ 8.5 billion.

Before being elected High Commissioner, Mr. Salih served as President of Iraq (2018–2022). His career spans more than three decades of governmental service in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He served twice as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (2001–2004; 2009–2012) and as Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (2004–2009), concurrently serving as Minister of Planning (2004–2006).

Mr. Salih has also served as a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, United States and as Leadership Fellow (non-resident) at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C, United States.
Founder and Chairman of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), Mr. Salih holds a PhD in Statistics and Computer Applications in Engineering from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom and a BSc in Civil Engineering from Cardiff University, United Kingdom.

Mr. Salih was born in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, in 1960. In addition to his native Kurdish and Arabic, he is fluent in English.