UAE diplomat Nusseibeh enters UN secretary-general race

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 18:02 · Archive

Lana Nusseibeh, a United Arab Emirates diplomat, has declared candidacy for UN secretary-general.

Lana Nusseibeh, a United Arab Emirates diplomat, has declared her candidacy for UN secretary-general this week, becoming the newest contender in a race that had largely stalled. No woman has ever led the UN throughout its 80 years of existence.

Nusseibeh brings Palestinian roots and has been outspoken on issues including aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the Abraham Accord between the UAE and Israel in 2020. She holds a master's degree in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora Studies and spent over a decade as UAE ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2024. She has taken a leave of absence from the foreign ministry following her nomination by the UAE government.

However, she faces sharp criticism over allegations that the UAE has backed paramilitary fighters in Sudan's civil war who have killed thousands. The Gulf nation has denied the claims. Nusseibeh will face questions from UN General Assembly members on Tuesday as part of the candidacy process.

Any new leader would take over from Antonio Guterres in January and inherit a UN weakened by harsh criticism and steep funding cuts by the Trump administration, with its role increasingly questioned as global powers create alternative bodies of influence.

How it is being reported

• UAE diplomat running for UN chief faces questions over her country's support for Sudan rebelsLana Nusseibeh, a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, is the newest contender for United Nations secretary-general.Clickorlando · 23 Oct, 16:33
• UAE diplomat running for UN chief faces questions over her country's support for Sudan rebelsLana Nusseibeh, a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, is the newest contender for United Nations secretary-general.News4Jax · 23 Oct, 16:33

In this story: Lana Nusseibeh · United Arab Emirates · United Nations · Sudan · Gaza · Israel · Antonio Guterres

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