{{Short description|Italian diplomat}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Filippo Grandi | native_name = <!--The person's name in their own language, if different.--> | native_name_lang = it | honorific_suffix = | image = Filippo Grandi - UNHCR - 2019 (cropped).jpg | caption = Grandi in 2019 | order = | office = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees | term_start = 1 January 2016 | term_end = 31 December 2025 | 1blankname = Secretary-General | 1namedata = {{plainlist}} * Ban Ki-moon * António Guterres {{endplainlist}} | predecessor = António Guterres | successor = Barham Salih | prior_term = | order2 = | office2 = Commissioner-General of the UNRWA | term_start2 = 20 January 2010 | term_end2 = 29 March 2014 | predecessor2 = Karen Koning AbuZayd | successor2 = Pierre Krähenbühl | birth_place = Milan, Lombardy, Italy | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|3|30|df=y}} | death_place = | death_date = | alma_mater = {{plainlist}} *University of Milan *Pontifical Gregorian University {{endplainlist}} }}
'''Filippo Grandi''' (born 30 March 1957) is an Italian diplomat and United Nations official, who has served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2016 to 2025.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/12/un-appoints-filippo-grandi-as-next-high-commissioner-for-refugees|title=UN appoints Filippo Grandi as next high commissioner for refugees|date=2015-11-12|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-07-27|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> He previously served as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)<ref>[http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/filippo-grandi-ends-term-unrwa-commissioner-general Filippo Grandi Ends Term as UNRWA Commissioner-General], UNRWA</ref> and United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. He received the Olympic Laureate award during the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
==Education== Grandi graduated with a degree in modern history from the University of Milan in 1981, and with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grandi |first1=Filippo |title=Filippo Grandi: United Nations High Commissioner for refugees |url=https://www.unhcr.org/admin/execoffice/59d72fe54/filippo-grandi-biography.html |publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref>
==Career== Grandi started his career in the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1988, and has served in a variety of countries, including Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq after the Gulf War. He also headed a number of emergency operations including in Kenya, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, Yemen and Afghanistan. Between 1996 and 1997, he was Field Coordinator for UNHCR and United Nations humanitarian activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the civil war. From 1997 to 2001, he worked in the Executive Office of the UNHCR in Geneva, as Special Assistant and then Chief of Staff. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the UNHCR's Chief of Mission.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Penny Mordaunt meets UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi in Djibouti (39547489782).jpg|thumb|Grandi in Djibouti with Penny Mordaunt|left]]
Grandi then moved to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2004, where he served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General responsible for political affairs from 2004 to 2005. In 2005 he moved to UNRWA, first as Deputy Commissioner-General and then from 2010 as Commissioner-General until 29 March 2014.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
On 11 November 2015 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced his intention to appoint Grandi as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to take office in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1605.doc.htm|title=Secretary-General Nominates Filippo Grandi of Italy United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|date=2015-11-11|access-date=2020-07-16|website=un.org}}</ref> On 23 November 2020, the United Nations General Assembly re-elected Grandi for an additional 2.5 year mandate as High Commissioner for Refugees.<ref>{{cite web |title=UN General Assembly extends mandate for High Commissioner Grandi |url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/11/5fbb992d4/un-general-assembly-extends-mandate-high-commissioner-grandi.html |website=UNHCR |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
Since 2019, Grandi has been a member of the World Economic Forum High-Level Group on Humanitarian Investing, co-chaired by Børge Brende, Kristalina Georgieva and Peter Maurer.<ref>[https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/01/world-economic-forum-2019-annual-meeting-launching-a-new-humanitarian-investing-initiative/ World Economic Forum 2019 Annual Meeting launching a new Humanitarian Investing Initiative] World Economic Forum, press release of January 18, 2019.</ref> He participated in the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
== Awards ==
* During the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, Grandi was presented with an Olympic Laurel, the third person to be honored, for his work in helping refugee athletes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/announcements/olympic-laurel-united-nations-high-commissioner-filippo-grandi | title=Olympic Laurel for United Nations High Commissioner Filippo Grandi }}</ref> * In July 2025, the Spanish government awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Real Decreto 674/2025, de 22 de julio, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica al señor Filippo Grandi. |url=https://boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2025-15290 |access-date=2025-07-23 |website=www.boe.es |language=es}}</ref> * In January 2026, the Ukraine government awarded him the Recipients of the Order of Merit, 2nd class<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/682026-58117|title=УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №68/2026 Про відзначення державними нагородами України}}</ref> * In April 2026, the Japanese government awarded him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. 55px|ribbon bar<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/101019599.pdf|title= 2026 Spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals|access-date= 30 April 2026|website= Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan}}</ref>
==Other activities== * Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Ex-Officio Member of the Committee of Cosponsoring Organizations (since 2016)<ref>[https://www.unaids.org/en/aboutunaids/unaidsleadership Leadership] Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).</ref> * International Gender Champions (IGC), Member<ref>[https://genderchampions.com/champions Members] International Gender Champions (IGC).</ref> * Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee<ref>[https://www.sciencespo.fr/psia/content/psia-strategic-committee.html Strategic Committee] Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).</ref> * World Economic Forum (WEF), Member of the Global Future Council on the Future of the Humanitarian System<ref>[https://www.weforum.org/communities/the-future-of-the-humanitarian-system Global Future Council: The Future of the Humanitarian System] World Economic Forum.</ref>
==See also== * List of Directors and Commissioners-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East * António Guterres – Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005–2015) and current UN Secretary-General. * Ruud Lubbers – Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2001–2005). * Henrietta Fore – Former Executive Director of UNICEF (2018–2022). * David Beasley – Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.unhcr.org/admin/execoffice/59d72fe54/filippo-grandi-biography.html, UN Biography, Filippo Grandi] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20220928014649/https://embassynews.co.in/italy-born-filippo-grandis-term-extended-as-unhcr-head/ Filippo Grandi, UNHCR]
{{s-start}} {{s-intgov}} {{s-bef | before = Karen Koning AbuZayd ({{flagicon|United States}}) }} {{s-ttl | title = Commissioner-General for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East | years = 20 January 2010 – 29 March 2014 }} {{s-aft | after = Pierre Krähenbühl ({{flagicon|Switzerland}}) }} {{s-break}} {{s-bef | before = António Guterres }} {{s-ttl | title = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees | years = 2016–present }} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandi, Filippo}} Category:Living people Category:UNRWA officials Category:Diplomats from Milan Category:United Nations high commissioners for refugees Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Category:University of Milan alumni Category:1957 births Category:Italian officials of the United Nations Category:20th-century Italian diplomats Category:21st-century Italian diplomats Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit (Ukraine), 2nd class Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun