Senior UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh has entered the race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, calling for stronger diplomacy and a renewed role for the global body in resolving international crises.
Nusseibeh, 48, currently the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, previously served as the country’s ambassador to the UN for more than a decade.
She said, “It’s clear that today we need a secretary-general that can recommit to the future of multilateralism and the future of the United Nations as a problem-solver rather than as a spectator to the world’s crises.”
Her entry comes as the selection process faces uncertainty. Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan has led informal Security Council polls, but all candidates received opposition from at least two permanent members in the latest round.
Nusseibeh previously helped secure the UAE’s election to the Security Council. During the Gaza war, she also played a role in advancing Resolution 2720, which paved the way for humanitarian aid delivery, by arranging a visit for council members to the Rafah crossing.
However, the UAE has faced scrutiny over allegations of military support to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which Abu Dhabi denies. Nusseibeh said she had taken leave from her government position and would focus on Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
If elected, she would become the second UN chief from the Middle East and the first woman to lead the organisation.
