"The nomination highlights a refugee regime increasingly steered by private-sector models rather than political commitments to protection. On October 14, the Swedish government announced it was nominating the CEO of IKEA, Jesper Brodin, as its candidate for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Less than a month later, as the current high commissioner, Filippo Grandi, approached the end of his mandate, Brodin resigned from his position at the Swedish furniture giant,"
"Can the former chief of an iconic multinational company become the world's highest authority on refugees and what will it mean if he does? In interviews, Jesper Brodin often refers to a small pamphlet by IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, titled The Testament of a Furniture Dealer, as outlining the values that inspire his way of doing business: innovation, sustainability and collective effort over individualism."
The Swedish government nominated IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin as candidate for UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Brodin resigned from IKEA as he approached a potential Geneva post. The nomination signals a shift toward private-sector models guiding refugee governance and raises questions about translating corporate values into refugee protection. IKEA already serves as a significant donor and operational partner to UNHCR, with its role likely to grow. The nomination coincides with a severe funding shortfall at UNHCR and rising global anti-refugee sentiment and political pressure. No business leader has previously been proposed to head the agency.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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