Secretary of State Schraner Burgener nominated for UN high commissioner.
Keystone-SDA
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.
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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.
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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.
Schraner Burgener has served as state secretary for migration since 2022. She will step down at the end of this year, at her own request, to join the foreign ministry.
Experienced diplomat
Under her leadership, the number of forced removals has risen and violence prevention in federal asylum seeker centres has improved. During her tenure, Switzerland faced its largest wave of migrants since the Second World War, with over 100,000 people fleeing Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion.
Schraner Burgener is an experienced diplomat, having served as the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar and as the Swiss ambassador to Thailand and Germany.
Translated from Italian by DeepL/sp
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