Mahir Safarli has been appointed as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative for Central Asia, Report informs, citing the UNHCR.
"UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is pleased to announce the arrival of Mahir Safarli as its new Representative for Central Asia. In this role, based in Almaty, he will lead UNHCR's engagement and activities across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Mr. Safarli presented his credentials to Kazakhstan's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yerzhan Ashikbayev, in Astana on January 21, 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," the agency said.
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, Safarli 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, Safarli will lead the agency's efforts in Central Asia to strengthen protection, enhance asylum systems, and resolve statelessness.