Cyprus has offered its support to the United Arab Emirates’ Lana Nusseibeh’s candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general at the beginning of next year, with Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos describing her as an “experienced, highly effective, and well-respected diplomat”.
He added that she has an “approach focusing on dialogue, compromise, and tangible outcomes, while also having a strong track record in supporting multilateralism and the United Nations”.
“I firmly believed, and continue to do so, that it is time for female leadership in important multilateral organisations. Qualified candidates have not been endorsed so far for the position of UN secretary-general, under the rules of the UN system. It is becoming time sensitive to ensure that the selection process proceeds,” he said.
He added that “I therefore wish Lana strength in this demanding endeavour, and every success in paving new pathways”.
Nusseibeh, 48, is currently the UAE’s assistant minister for political affairs, having been the country’s permanent representative to the UN between 2013 and 2024, during which time she served as the president of the UN women executive board in 2017.
Her father is Palestinian born UAE diplomat Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, and she speaks English, Arabic, French, and Hebrew.
UAE nominated Nusseibeh on Wednesday
She entered the race late, having only been nominated by the UAE on Wednesday after a series of straw polls among members of the UN security-council remained deadlocked, with all seven candidates at the time having drawn negative opinions from at least two of the security council’s five permanent members on October 16.
Her candidacy was given an almost immediate boost on Thursday, with the Gulf Cooperation Council having unanimously endorsed her.
On this matter, GCC secretary-general Jasem Mohamed Abdulawi said that “this nomination reflects the GCC states’ commitment to supporting multilateral international action, as well as their keenness to contribute to cementing the role of the UN in maintaining international peace and security”.
The GCC comprises Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, which is at present itself a non-permanent security council member.
Were she to be elected to the role and take office on January 1, Nusseibeh would be the first female UN secretary-general and the second Arab to hold the post, after Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali held the role between 1992 and 1996.
The other six candidates are Ecuadorians Ivonne Baki and Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Argentinian Rafael Grossi, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Ugandan Olara Otunnu, Guyanese Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, with the seventh, Ghanaian Macky Sall, having withdrawn from the race after the October 16 vote.