Barham Salih, the newly elected United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has pledged to implement reforms for greater operational effectiveness, accountability, and value for money at UNHCR, as the agency faces record global displacement and tightening budgets.

• Salih, a former Iraqi president and one-time refugee, was elected by the 193-member United Nations General Assembly after being nominated by Secretary-General António Guterres.
• He will succeed Italy’s Filippo Grandi, who has led the UN refugee agency since 2016.
• UNHCR operates in more than 130 countries, and in Kenya, it has been active for more than five decades, supporting one of Africa’s largest and most protracted refugee situations, hosting a significant population largely from Somalia and South Sudan.