Mahir Safarli has been appointed as Head of the Regional Representation for Central Asia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Modern.az reports that this was stated in an official statement by UNHCR, as well as in information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
As a regional representative, Mahir Safarli will operate from the regional office based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and will lead the organization's activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
According to the information, on January 21, Mahir Safarli presented his credentials to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan in Astana. During the meeting, the parties discussed priority areas of cooperation. It is noted that in the coming weeks, the new regional representative will continue his meetings with government agencies and partners in Central Asian countries, and additional contacts are planned to strengthen joint operational mechanisms.
Mahir Safarli, with over 23 years of humanitarian experience at UNHCR, has served in leadership positions in various countries amidst complex humanitarian crises and emergencies. Prior to his appointment to Central Asia, he served as Deputy Representative for the organization in Greece and Ukraine. Earlier, he held senior positions in operations and coordination in Syria and Turkey.
In earlier stages of his career, Mahir Safarli worked in various capacities in legal protection and management within UNHCR's humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, and Azerbaijan. He also served as Chief Inspector for inspection and oversight functions at the Headquarters in Geneva from 2016–2019.
UNHCR states that in his new role, Mahir Safarli will lead efforts to strengthen the refugee protection system and address the problem of statelessness in the region.
“It is a great honor for me to begin operations in the Central Asian region, which possesses a rich cultural heritage and history, is distinguished by its hospitable attitude towards refugees, and its initiatives in resolving the problem of statelessness,” – Mahir Safarli noted.
Information regarding his biography states that Mahir Safarli studied law and public administration, and also completed advanced training programs in international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and conflict prevention in Finland, Italy, and Norway. He is an alumnus of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
