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UAE Ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh, speaks during a session titled "Navigating Challenges to International Peace and Security," at the World Governments Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 12, 2024.
Photo credit: Reuters
For weeks, diplomats had whispered that she was the dark horse waiting in the wings. On Wednesday, Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's Minister of State and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, formally entered the race to become the organisation's 10th Secretary-General.
If successful, the 47-year-old would make history as the first woman to lead the United Nations and only the second person from the Middle East to hold the post. But she joins a crowded field at a time when the UN Security Council's five permanent members remain deeply divided, raising the prospect of another prolonged search for a consensus candidate.