High Commissioner welcomes nomination of successor

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Thursday welcomed the announcement in New York of the nomination of Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi as his successor.

Mr. Grandi's nomination was announced yesterday at United Nations headquarters by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The General Assembly is expected to elect the new High Commissioner in the coming days.

"Mr. Grandi is a highly respected leader with a wealth of international and refugee experience," Mr. Guterres said. "Given the scale and urgency of today's refugee crisis, with 60 million people worldwide uprooted by conflict and persecution, someone of his abilities and profound knowledge of forced displacement will be of great benefit to UNHCR and the people we are mandated to protect and assist."

Mr. Guterres ends over 10 years as High Commissioner on 31 December 2015. His term, which began in June 2005, spanned one of the most tumultuous decades in UNHCR's history. The agency, which has more than 9,300 staff in some 123 countries, marks the 65th anniversary of its founding next month.

For the press release issued by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General in New York please follow this link : http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1605.doc.htm

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