Swiss diplomat Schraner Burgener bids for UN high commissioner for refugees

Swiss diplomat and State Secretary for Migration Christine Schraner Burgener wants to become the next United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees. Switzerland backs the 61-year-old's bid, the foreign ministry confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Saturday, following reports in various media outlets. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is pivotal in shaping global refugee policy. It’s also the largest UN agency in Geneva. The High Commissioner role will be vacant at the end of 2025, as the current holder, Italian Filippo Grandi, completes his term. Election in one year The election for the new High Commissioner is set for the end of 2025, with German MP Niels Annen among the known candidates. The UNHCR is a key partner for Switzerland in executing its foreign policy, said the Swiss foreign ministry. Switzerland notified UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the candidacy in early December.