Official Congratulatory Message
His Excellency Mr Barham Salih
Designate United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
I extend my congratulations on your appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, an appointment that comes at one of the most critical moments in contemporary history and reflects the international community’s confidence in your experience, judgment, and sense of responsibility in addressing the escalating global displacement crisis.
You assume this significant responsibility at a time when millions of people have been forced from their homes and homelands due to war, repression, occupation, and the denial of fundamental rights. Leading one of the world’s most important humanitarian institutions under such circumstances requires an understanding that goes beyond administrative frameworks and statistics—an understanding rooted in historical awareness, political insight, and a genuine commitment to human dignity.
The presence of a Kurdish figure at the helm of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees carries both symbolic and substantive significance. The Kurdish people, having repeatedly endured displacement, exile, and statelessness in modern history, understand deeply that refugeehood is not merely a legal status, but a profound human and collective wound. In this context, your appointment has the potential to strengthen a responsible and informed voice shaped by lived historical experience.
It is hoped that during your tenure, the principles of impartiality, justice, accountability, and effective protection for refugees and displaced persons—particularly those who are victims of protracted conflicts and policies of exclusion and denial—will be further reinforced and translated into meaningful action at the global level.
I wish you every success in carrying out this important international mandate.
Respectfully,
Ashtyako Poorkarim
Leader of the Kurdistan Independence Movement
