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UNHCR - The High Commissioner
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class="un--search"> <div class="search__wrapper"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/search?query=" method="get" id="frm-main-search"> <fieldset class="gbl--search"> <legend>Global UNHCR search</legend> <div class="form--row"> <label for="un--gbl-search" class="hidden">Search UNHCR</label> <input type="text" value="" class="gbl--search-text" id="un--gbl-search"/> <input type="submit" class="icon--search" value="search"/> </div> </fieldset> <a href="#_" title="Close search" class="icon--close">Close search</a> </form> </div> </div> <div class="body--wrapper"> <div class="overlay"> </div> <div class="video-player"> <div class="close-btn"></div> <div class="player-container"> <div class="player-inner-wrap"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="main-content "> <div class="thirdlevel fullwidth " id="threeleveltest"> <div class="intro__container"> <section> <div class="section__wrapper landing--head"> <div class="breadcrumb"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/">Home</a></li><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/about-us.html" title="About Us">About Us</a></li><li>The High Commissioner</li></ul> </div> <div class="intro"> <h1>The High Commissioner</h1> <div class="section--nav"> <div class="form--row"> <ul class="thirdlevel-list" data-header-name="In this section"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/high-commissioners-dialogue.html">High Commissioner's Dialogue</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/previous-high-commissioners.html">Previous High Commissioners</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/senior-executive-team.html">Senior Executive Team</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <section class="cta flush section_twocol"> <div class="section__wrapper"> <div class="banner two--one"> <div class="image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/https://www.youtube.com/embed/C7Ct-pTXc34" class="play--video"> <div class="image--bg playbtn" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb1/56aa29394.jpg');"> <img src="/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb1/56aa29394.jpg" alt="Play button"/> </div> </a> </div> <div class="info"> <div class="content"> <p><strong>"UNHCR is navigating extraordinarily difficult waters. The combination of multiple conflicts and resulting mass displacement, fresh challenges to asylum, the funding gap between humanitarian needs and resources, and growing xenophobia is very dangerous." </strong></p> <p>Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. </p> <p>He was elected by the UN General Assembly on 1 January 2016 to serve a five-year term, until 31 December 2020.</p> <p><a class="btn" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/search?comid=56962f3d9&cid=49aea93a4c&scid=49aea93a2f&author=grandi">Filippo Grandi's speeches</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section> <div class="section__wrapper landing--head content--text"> <p>Grandi was born in Milan in 1957 and has been engaged in refugee and humanitarian work for more than 30 years. From 2010 to 2014, he served as Commissioner-General of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/https://www.unrwa.org/what-we-do">UNRWA</a>, the UN Agency for Palestine refugees, having previously been its Deputy Commissioner-General since 2005. He also served as Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan and has worked with NGOs and UNHCR in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and at our Geneva headquarters.</p> <p>Grandi holds a degree in modern history from the State University in Milan, a BA in Philosophy from the Gregorian University in Rome and an honorary doctorate from the University of Coventry.</p> </div> </section> <section class="cta flush"> <div class="section__wrapper"> <div class="cta__wrapper"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/protection/basic/526a22cb6/mandate-high-commissioner-refugees-office.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/563ca2186.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <h2>The mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees and his Office</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/previous-high-commissioners.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/51c2c60b6.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <h2>Previous High Commissioners</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/special-envoy-angelina-jolie.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb1/53a45e936.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <h2>UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie</h2> </div> </div> </a> <div class="cta__box cta__box--s set "> <div class="cta__box__wrapper"> <div class="cta__img "> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/refugees-deserve-action-and-investment-not-indifference-and-cruelty"><img src="/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/57457c064.jpg" alt=""/></a> </div> <div class="cta__info"> <h2><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/refugees-deserve-action-and-investment-not-indifference-and-cruelty">Refugees deserve action and investment, not indifference and cruelty</a></h2> <p>United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi argues for humane treatment of refugees in an article to mark the World Humanitarian Summit.</p> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span></span><span>High Commissioner</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="cta flush"> <div class="section__wrapper"> <h2>Related news and stories</h2> <div class="cta__wrapper"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2018/7/5b3a40264/international-support-needed-rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-say-un-world.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/5b3a41454.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>News</span> </div> <h2>More international support needed for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, say UN and World Bank chiefs</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2018/6/5b33baee4/grandi-calls-greater-efforts-debunk-myths-around-refugee-crises.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/5b3360213.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>News</span> </div> <h2>Grandi calls for greater efforts to debunk myths around refugee crises</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2018/6/5b2eab644/grandi-calls-donor-nations-help-stabilize-africas-conflict-zones.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/5b2ea8b63.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>News</span> </div> <h2>Grandi calls on donor nations to help stabilize Africa's conflict zones</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2018/6/5b2bec144/safe-limbo-horror-libya.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/5b2bf5534.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>News</span> </div> <h2>Safe, but in limbo, after the horror of Libya</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2018/5/5afd59834/unhcr-chief-calls-solidarity-lgbti-displaced.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/598c68c43.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>News</span> </div> <h2>UNHCR chief calls for solidarity with LGBTI displaced</h2> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180830070353/http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2018/5/5af93ebf4/unhcr-chief-calls-compassionate-action-ramadan.html" class="cta__box cta__box--s set"> <div class="cta__box__wrapper poster" style="background-image: url('/web/20180830070353im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb4/5afab3c04.jpg');"> <div class="cta__info"> <div class="tag__wrapper"> <span>Stories</span> </div> <h2>UNHCR chief calls for 'compassionate action' this Ramadan</h2> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> </section> 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