UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN secretary-general in race to succeed Guterres

Euro Times – UAE

Emirati diplomat Lana Zaki Nusseibeh has formally entered the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, after the United Arab Emirates submitted her nomination for the term beginning on 1 January 2027, when António Guterres’ tenure comes to an end.

The United Nations confirmed that the UAE submitted Nusseibeh’s nomination on 21 October. The presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council subsequently circulated her candidacy to UN member states as part of the formal selection process.

Nusseibeh is due to take part in an interactive dialogue with UN member states on 27 October, according to a separate UN announcement.

A long career at the United Nations

Nusseibeh previously served as the UAE’s permanent representative to the United Nations and became one of the country’s most prominent diplomatic figures during its 2022–2023 term on the Security Council. She currently serves as a minister of state and has presented a platform focused on peace and security, development, human rights and improving the UN’s effectiveness.

Speaking about her candidacy, Nusseibeh said her career working in and around the United Nations had shown her that diplomacy could find common ground even between deeply divided states. She has argued for a more results-oriented organisation able to respond more quickly to crises, according to Euronews.

Who is Lana Nusseibeh?

Nusseibeh, 48, grew up between Abu Dhabi and the United Kingdom in an Emirati family with a long-standing political and diplomatic profile. She is the daughter of Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, a cultural adviser to the UAE president and veteran diplomat who worked closely with the UAE’s founding president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Educated in the United Kingdom, she studied history at the University of Cambridge before embarking on a career closely tied to international diplomacy and the United Nations. In 2013, she became the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN, the first woman to represent the country in that role.

During her years in New York, Nusseibeh served as president of the UN Women Executive Board, held senior roles in the General Assembly and helped lead the UAE’s successful campaign for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2022–2023.

She was particularly visible on the Gaza file during the UAE’s Security Council term. Euronews highlighted her role in efforts that led to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2720 on expanding humanitarian assistance into Gaza, as well as her involvement in organising a visit by Security Council ambassadors to the Rafah crossing.

Nusseibeh also speaks Hebrew in addition to Arabic and English, a notable element of her diplomatic background and her work on Middle East issues.

She said several countries encouraged her to enter the contest during the latest UN General Assembly meetings, and has described the organisation as needing a “generational change” in leadership and an ability to engage candidly with governments across political divides.

An open international contest

The official field also includes candidates from several regions. The secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council under Article 97 of the UN Charter, meaning any successful candidate must secure the necessary Security Council support without a veto from one of its five permanent members.

The 2026 contest has also renewed attention on the fact that no woman has led the United Nations since the organisation was founded in 1945. If selected, Nusseibeh would become the UN’s first female secretary-general, the first secretary-general of Palestinian origin and the second figure from the Arab world to hold the post after Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali.