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Azerbaijani national appointed head of UNHCR Regional Office for Central Asia

Mahir Safarli, new Representative for Central Asia

12 February 2026 12:18 (UTC +04:00)

Mahir Safarli has been appointed Head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Representation for Central Asia, APA reports.

The appointment was announced in an official statement by UNHCR and in information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

In this role, based in Almaty, he will lead UNHCR’s engagement and activities across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

He presented his credentials to Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yerzhan Ashikbayev, in Astana on 21 January, discussing priorities for cooperation. In the weeks ahead, he will continue engaging with governments and partners across Central Asia to strengthen collaboration and support for refugees and stateless people.

Mr Safarli brings more than 23 years of humanitarian experience with UNHCR, including senior leadership roles in complex displacement and emergency contexts. Prior to his appointment to Central Asia, he served as Deputy Representative in Greece and Ukraine, and previously held senior operational and field coordination roles in Syria and Türkiye.

Earlier in his career, he held a wide range of field, protection and management roles across UNHCR operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia and Azerbaijan, as well as at Headquarters in Geneva, where he contributed to inspection and strategic oversight functions.

With his extensive background in humanitarian operations and leadership, Mr Safarli will lead the agency’s efforts in Central Asia to strengthen protection, enhance asylum systems, and resolve statelessness.

“I am honoured to take on this role in Central Asia – a region shaped by extraordinary diversity, remarkable cultures, communities, and landscapes, and known for its generosity toward refugees and leadership in addressing statelessness,” says Mr Safarli. “I look forward to working closely with governments, partners, and communities to build on this progress – strengthening asylum systems, advancing inclusion, and ensuring that every person can enjoy protection, rights, and a nationality.”

Mr Safarli holds master’s degrees in law and public administration, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science. His academic background is complemented by advanced diploma programmes in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and Conflict Prevention.