UNHCR Leadership

Toby Harward, the UNHCR Representative in Iraq.

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UNHCR Iraq Representative

Toby Harward has 26 years of experience in the United Nations, working in peacekeeping operations, special political missions and humanitarian operations in Africa and the Middle East.

Prior to his current position as UNHCR’s Representative in Iraq, Toby was UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan (Darfur) following the outbreak of war in April 2023. Previous UNHCR positions include Principal Situation Coordinator in Darfur; Head of Office in Ninewa, Iraq; Head of Office in the United Arab Emirates. In his earlier career, he occupied senior positions in UN peacekeeping operations in Sudan and in Lebanon, and the OPCW-UN Joint Mission assigned to facilitate and verify the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. He has also spent periods working in UN missions in Libya, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Western Sahara. He also spent a period of time heading an international NGO in Syria.

Toby Harward is a British national. He has a Master’s degree in International Relations with Arabic from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.