Geneva International

After ten years at the helm of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi is preparing to step down at the end of 2025, closing a chapter marked by unprecedented global displacement, shrinking humanitarian resources and sustained advocacy for people forced to flee. His final months in office were marked by two symbolic moments: celebrating refugee champions at the Nansen Refugee Award ceremony and welcoming the election of his successor, former Iraqi President Barham Salih.

Grandi’s farewell came during UNHCR’s 2025 Nansen Refugee Award ceremony, where he paid tribute to four exceptional individuals and a frontline organization whose actions, he said, embodied the values he championed throughout his tenure. The ceremony, attended by UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, carried special resonance as it was Grandi’s last time presiding over UNHCR’s highest distinction.
Established in 1954, the Nansen Refugee Award honours individuals and organisations demonstrating outstanding commitment to protecting refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. “The Nansen Refugee Award celebrates extraordinary courage and compassion,” Grandi said. “This year’s laureates remind us that, even in dark times, compassion remains undimmed.”

The 2025 global laureate, Chief Martin Azia Sodea of Cameroon, was recognised for his leadership in welcoming refugees fleeing violence in the Central African Republic. When more than 36,000 refugees arrived in the village of Gado-Badzéré, Chief Sodea and his community shared land for shelter and farming, enabling refugees and host communities to live and work side by side. Under his leadership, a small rural village became a powerful example of peaceful coexistence and dignity.

“Challenges remain: forced displacement is rising while resources are shrinking,” Grandi noted. “Yet solutions exist. They begin with community and sharing.”
Four regional laureates were also honoured. Pablo Moreno Cadena of Mexico was recognised for transforming corporate practices by opening employment opportunities to refugees. Ukrainian humanitarian organisation Proliska was honoured for delivering life-saving assistance to more than 3.2 million people affected by war. In the Middle East and North Africa, Taban Shoresh, founder of the women-led organisation The Lotus Flower, was recognised for supporting conflict survivors in Iraq. In the Asia-Pacific region, Negara Nazari, an Afghan refugee and co-founder of the Ariana Learning Centre in Tajikistan, was honoured for providing education to refugee children.

Cate Blanchett urged the audience to go beyond admiration. “If we leave our marvelling at the congratulations and the trophies, we will have missed a golden opportunity to reflect on what their work inspires us all to do,” she said.
As Grandi prepares to leave office on 31 December 2025, the UN General Assembly has elected Barham Salih as the next High Commissioner for Refugees. Salih, former President of Iraq, will assume office on 1 January 2026 and be based in Geneva.

“Barham Salih brings decades of high-level public service, marked by steady leadership and thoughtful diplomacy,” Grandi said. “Coming from a country shaped by conflict, persecution and displacement, he has first-hand experience of the challenges many refugees face today.”

Grandi’s tenure, which began in January 2016, spanned some of the largest displacement crises in modern history, including Syria, Ukraine and Sudan. Despite deep cuts in humanitarian funding, UNHCR remains present in 128 countries, with nearly 90 per cent of its more than 14,600 staff working in frontline operations.
As UNHCR marks 75 years of protecting people forced to flee, Grandi’s final message was clear: leadership may change, but responsibility endures. “These laureates are not only honourees,” he said. “They are champions for refugees. Tonight, we entrust them – and all of us – with carrying this cause forward.”
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