UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi reflects on tenure as he prepares to step down

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said he feels "very honored" and reflective as he prepares to step down after more than three decades fighting for displaced people.

Grandi told Melissa Fleming on the United Nations podcast Awake at Night that his career began as a volunteer at the Thai‑Cambodian border and has been "a life devoted to dealing with crisis and crisis that have impacted people." He said the most important focus of his work has been reducing suffering for the people most affected by conflict and displacement.

He described one of his proudest moments as standing at the borders of Afghanistan when large numbers of people returned and began rebuilding homes, schools and clinics. "It was a moment of enormous hope," he said, adding that such moments require concerted international and political action.

The departure comes amid painful organizational changes. Grandi said nearly 5,000 UN posts have been cut and the agency has had to reduce the volume of some work by about one‑third because of sudden declines in contributions from several key donors. "It's been excruciating," he said of letting staff go, and he expressed regret for those whose careers ended because of the cuts.

Grandi also stressed he intends to remain engaged after leaving office. He said he plans to spend time with young people, share stories and arguments about multilateral cooperation, and potentially work on climate and diversity issues.

He closed the interview by urging continued faith in multilateral institutions. "We are on the right side of history," he said, while acknowledging the challenges of Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Myanmar.

The interview was recorded in Geneva as Grandi prepares to complete his tenure at UNHCR.