On October 14, the Swedish authorities introduced it was nominating the CEO of IKEA, Jesper Brodin, as its candidate for United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Lower than a month later, as the present excessive commissioner, Filippo Grandi, approached the top of his mandate, Brodin resigned from his place on the Swedish furnishings big, which he had led for eight years. In January 2026, the workplace of the UN secretary-general is predicted to current a most well-liked candidate to the Common Meeting for what former UNHCR head of analysis Jeff Crisp has known as a “professional forma election”. Can the previous chief of an iconic multinational firm grow to be the world’s highest authority on refugees — and what’s going to it imply if he does?
In interviews, Jesper Brodin usually refers to a small pamphlet by IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, titled The Testomony of a Furnishings Supplier, as outlining the values that encourage his means of doing enterprise: innovation, sustainability and collective effort over individualism. Does the UNHCR must study classes from a “furnishings seller”? The query issues as a result of Brodin’s attraction is commonly framed by way of company values, but it stays unclear how — or whether or not — these translate into the safety of refugees. Whether or not Brodin has any probability of constructing it to the Geneva put up or not, the query is value asking, for the function of IKEA as a donor and operational accomplice of the UNHCR is critical and is prone to develop.
Whereas humanitarianism and enterprise have traditionally been companions, significantly because the finish of the Chilly Battle, that is the primary time a enterprise chief has been proposed to move the UN refugee company. The nomination comes at a time when the UNHCR faces a dramatic money crunch, and when political pressures and anti-refugee sentiment are rising globally. Many students and practitioners imagine the way forward for the worldwide refugee regime itself could also be at stake. Understanding the implications of Sweden’s alternative, then, requires analyzing how company humanitarianism now shapes refugee safety.
Many have been stunned by the nomination. But the transfer by Sweden is something however stunning. Over the previous three many years, firms have taken on elevated accountability for responding to humanitarian crises, whereas conventional organisations compete for a quickly diminishing pool of assets. Analysis on the commodification of compassion has proven how, more and more, “doing good” and “doing properly” have grow to be one and the identical. This type of “model help” concerned each selling business manufacturers (from Toms footwear to Starbucks) by way of their involvement in humanitarian causes, and turning help itself right into a branded exercise — one thing most successfully achieved by way of company partnerships. It started round 20 years in the past however has now grow to be the dominant mannequin of humanitarian engagement. As one main humanitarian donor in Kinshasa instructed us, “It’s now all about collaborations between the non-public sector, companies and philanthropists.” Certainly, when the need to assist turns into one thing you possibly can promote, firms akin to IKEA can revenue from involvement in world serving to that builds their moral branding. However can the UNHCR revenue from being led by IKEA’s CEO? The query goes to the guts of a rising unease concerning the path of the refugee regime.
We see three essential issues right here. First, UNHCR is caught between contradictory calls for from donor states within the World North and internet hosting states within the South. Brodin and IKEA’s model of feel-good capitalism can not reconcile these basic tensions over sovereignty. Jesper Brodin has been lauded as a businessman and touts his credibility as a frontrunner and negotiator. “Trump likes individuals within the enterprise world,” we’re instructed. Nonetheless, the challenges to the company’s safety mandate require a imaginative and prescient that goes properly past the smiling face of compassionate capitalism. Whereas formally remaining the guardian of the 1951 Refugee Conference, UNHCR has been working in what students akin to Bhupinder Chimni have described as an “erosion” of the worldwide refugee regime — a long-term weakening of asylum norms and burden-sharing commitments. Donor governments within the World North have used their restricted help for UNHCR’s humanitarian actions within the World South as a option to deflect consideration from the disregard for refugee rights inside their very own borders. How will Brodin fare in navigating these competing pressures — from containment agendas within the World North to safety obligations that lie on the coronary heart of UNHCR’s mandate?
Second, Brodin usually mentions his expertise as a provide chain supervisor in an organization that has put logistical innovation on the core of its enterprise technique as an essential asset for the job. Certainly, this aligns with UNHCR’s present deal with renewing its personal provide chain technique. He additionally talks about “bringing the values and the belongings of refugees to the enterprise group,” a phrase he makes use of to consult with refugees’ expertise and labour potential. Nonetheless, this endeavour has proved way more advanced than he makes it sound. Virtually 10 years after IKEA’s first try and combine refugees into its personal provide chains in Jordan, the variety of individuals the programme includes stays small, and refugees within the nation nonetheless face vital boundaries to work and social safety.
A study we published in 2021 highlighted {that a} deal with refugee logistics really meant working in direction of integrating displaced individuals into world provide chains fairly than offering them with materials help or infrastructure. Whether or not for enterprise or for catastrophe reduction, logistics depend upon networks of infrastructure and guidelines that solely perform by way of ongoing negotiation with governments.
Lastly, the contradictions of IKEA’s company and basis possession construction — what makes it work properly as a enterprise — embody the paradox of blending public wants for refugee safety with non-public aims for revenue. The IKEA Basis, the corporate’s philanthropic arm, has been working with UNHCR since 2010, supporting its operations in 16 nations. The UN company defines the collaboration as “transformative”, highlighting the way it has grow to be a mannequin for all its partnerships with the non-public sector. Furthermore, the nomination comes at a time when main donor states, together with the US, the UK and Germany, are slashing their budgets. On this geopolitical context, Sweden, whereas dealing with its personal financial challenges, might be looking for to stake its place as one of many final remaining humanitarian powers within the Western world. Brodin’s bid attracts on Sweden’s perceived status for frugality and sustainability.
Nonetheless, there may be an unstated but basic contradiction between Brodin’s promise to deal with UNHCR’s disaster by “holding the purse strings” and the place of IKEA inside world financial constructions which have contributed to the humanitarian funding disaster within the first place. In 2017, following calls from EU parliamentary teams, the European Fee opened an in-depth investigation into the Netherlands — the place the corporate is headquartered — for its tax therapy of Inter IKEA, one of many two teams working the IKEA enterprise. The corporate’s possession construction, which advantages its business operations, may additionally scale back its tax burden, thereby lowering contributions to public funds. Right here, as in lots of different instances, massive enterprise guarantees to repair world inequality it has helped create.
Within the current world local weather of hostility to migrants and refugees, Brodin and IKEA’s model of feel-good capitalism dangers additional hollowing out UNHCR’s safety mandate, lowering humanitarianism to a matter of well-managed provide chains. The stakes are excessive: when humanitarian priorities are formed by company logic, core protections — from asylum entry to primary help — danger being eroded. What advantages a enterprise organisation doesn’t essentially serve the rights or wants of refugees.
The views expressed on this article are the authors’ personal and don’t essentially mirror Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
