United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi Confirmed by General Assembly Decision

Following the recommendation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, after consultation with Member States, the General Assembly confirmed Filippo Grandi of Italy as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a further two‑and‑a‑half‑year term, beginning 1 January 2021 and ending 30 June 2023.  While the Secretary‑General had intended to request the General Assembly to elect Mr. Grandi for a further term of five years, Mr. Grandi was agreeable, owing to personal reasons, to the shorter term.  Mr. Grandi is currently serving an initial five‑year term as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Before becoming Commissioner, Mr. Grandi was engaged in international cooperation for over 30 years, focusing on refugee and humanitarian work.  He served as Commissioner‑General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), from 2010 to 2014, having been the organization’s Deputy Commissioner‑General since 2005.  Prior to that, Mr. Grandi served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary‑General in Afghanistan, following a long career first with non‑governmental organizations and later with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and at the agency’s Geneva headquarters.

__________

* This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1607-BIO/4782-REF/1219 of 18 November 2015.