Lana Nusseibeh, a UAE diplomat who once was the nation's face at the UN, announced her candidacy for the position of UN General Secretary on Thursday.
In the latest informal straw poll held last week to gauge which candidates have a shot of becoming the next UN Secretary General, every contender received an effective veto.
Five of the 15 members of the UN Security Council wield veto power and can shut down any candidate that is unacceptable to them, which happened Friday when all seven candidates received at least two vetoes.
As Lana Nusseibeh steps back from her role in the UAE government to focus on her candidacy, let's take a look at the process of how the UN Secretary-General is selected.
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The process of selection is detailed in the General Assembly resolution 79/327. There are six steps in the process; currently, the fourth step is underway.
1. Starting the process: The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council open the process with a joint letter to all Member States, announcing its start and inviting candidates to be presented.
2. Opening nominations: A candidate is nominated by one Member State or by a group of Member States, by letter to the two Presidents, with a vision statement, a curriculum vitae and a disclosure of the sources of campaign funding.
3. The candidates are heard: The President of the General Assembly convenes a webcast interactive dialogue with each candidate, open to all Member States.
4. Consideration by the Security Council: The Council considers the candidacies in private, by informal straw polls. After each round its President announces that a poll has taken place; the results are not published.
The Council will make its recommendation to the General Assembly “in a timely manner so that the appointment by the Assembly allows the newly appointed Secretary-General sufficient time to prepare for the job”.
5. Appointment by the General Assembly: On the recommendation of the Security Council, the General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General by resolution, in a plenary meeting over which the President of the General Assembly presides.
6. Swearing-in: The process ends with the swearing into office of the Secretary-General-designate during the last quarter of the year before the term begins. The current term of office ends on December 31, 2026.