UN elected former Iraqi President Saleh as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The United Nations General Assembly held a plenary meeting on the 18th, electing former Iraqi president Barham Salih as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, responsible for leading the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Office. In January 2026, Salih will succeed Filippo Grandi and begin a five-year term as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Salih, born in 1960, served as President of Iraq from 2018 to 2022.