François Reybet-Degat

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has assigned in mid-2013, Mr. Francois Reybet-Degat, a national of France and Ireland, as Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  Mr. Reybet-Degat’s responsibilities pertain to the Syria and Iraq situations and include the function of Deputy Regional Refugee Coordinator.  

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Reybet-Degat served for 22 years with UNHCR   in varied operations and was also recently seconded to the UN in Viet Nam as Head of Resident Coordinator’s Office between 2009 and 2012.

Mr. Reybet-Degat joined UNHCR as Food Aid Co-ordinator in Khartoum, Sudan from 1989 to 1992.  Thereafter, he was assigned to Ljubljana, Slovenia from 1992 -1993 as a Programme Officer dealing with the emergency response for Bosnian refugees.  In 1993, he was posted to UNHCR Headquarters as Fund Raising Officer covering the European Union, and most notably, the newly established European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO).   In 1997, he was appointed to Luanda, Angola, to manage the repatriation programme.  Followed a six-year re-assignment to UNHCR Headquarters during which he performed functions related to Change Management (1999-2001) and the Afghan Return and Reintegration Operation (2001-2005).  In 2005, the High Commissioner appointed Mr. Reybet-Degat to Kabul where he oversaw the operational side of the Afghan operation up until 2007.

In 2007, Mr. Reybet-Degat returned shortly to UNHCR’s Headquarters as Special Advisor to the Asia Bureau Director for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran and subsequently, as Senior Policy Officer in the Office of the Controller.  Thereafter, he was seconded to the UN in Hanoi to serve as Head of the Resident Coordinator’s office in Hanoi, Viet Nam, supporting the Delivering as One (DaO) reform initiative of the UN development work in one of the eight pilot countries.

Mr. Reybet-Degat subsequently took on the position of Deputy Representative in Khartoum, Sudan in February 2012.  During his assignment, Mr. Reybet-Degat acted as Representative for one year, overseeing a complex, diverse and large country operation.

Mr. Reybet-Degat holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the “Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Grenoble”, France.