- From Policy-Making to a Seat in New York
- Diplomacy Amid Polarizing Fronts
- A Track Record at the UN Marked by Women’s Issues and Reform
- Sudan... A Test of Neutrality
- What do the projections for the race indicate?
Lana Nusseibeh did not enter the race for the position of United Nations Secretary-General as a diplomat unknown in the corridors of the international organization. For more than a decade, she has been one of the most prominent figures in explaining and negotiating the United Arab Emirates’ positions in New York, during a period marked by the war in Ukraine, repeated escalations of tension in the Middle East, a devastating war in Gaza, and growing disagreements over the capacity for action of the Security Council.
On October 21, 2026, the United Arab Emirates officially announced Nusseibeh’s candidacy for the position of secretary-general, to compete to succeed António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31. His candidacy came after six rounds of informal voting in the Security Council, during which the contenders failed to reach a definitive consensus on a candidate acceptable to the permanent members.
The United Arab Emirates’ move is not limited to presenting a figure with UN experience; it also extends to an attempt to elevate the diplomacy of this Gulf nation to a leadership position within the international organization. However, this change raises a fundamental question: Will a diplomat whose career has focused on representing the interests of her country be able to convince member states of her ability to act independently, even when the organization’s priorities conflict with the interests of major governments or those of her own country?
From Policy-Making to a Seat in New York
◄ In December 2023, she led efforts to draft Resolution 2720, which established a UN mechanism to expand and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, daughter of Zaki Nusseibeh, cultural advisor to the president of the United Arab Emirates, pursued her university studies in Great Britain, where she studied history at the University of Cambridge, before earning a master’s degree with first-class honors in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in 2003. This academic background provides her with a foundation that combines history and regional politics, although it was her professional experience that later shaped her diplomatic career.
Nusseibeh began her career in the government institutions of the United Arab Emirates and founded the Policy Planning Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2009, serving as its first director. She also served as the United Arab Emirates’ deputy special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2010 to 2012 and was involved in other international affairs, including the preparation of the G-20 summit during the French presidency in 2011.
In September 2013, she became the first Emirati woman to hold the position of her country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, a post she held until April 2024. During this period, she worked to expand the United Arab Emirates’ presence in the multilateral system, served as chair of the UN Women Executive Board and vice president of the General Assembly, and helped lead negotiations on Security Council reform and the revitalization of the General Assembly’s work.
One of her most notable achievements was her presidency of the Security Council during the UAE’s two terms at the helm of the Council in 2022 and 2023, when she faced challenges that went beyond traditional issues and extended to a growing divide among the major powers regarding wars, international sovereignty, and humanitarian aid. In September 2025, she assumed the position of Minister of State, before entering the current race for the UN post.
Diplomacy Amid Polarizing Fronts
The Palestinian issue was one of the most prominent tests that highlighted Nusseibeh’s role on the Security Council. In December 2023, the United Arab Emirates led efforts to draft Resolution 2720, which established a UN mechanism to expand and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The resolution came after arduous negotiations among Council members, at a time when the war had pitted the international institution against deep disagreements over the ceasefire, the delivery of aid, and the release of hostages.
The resolution did not end the war, but it did allow for the creation of a UN mechanism to coordinate and oversee aid shipments. This experience reveals a facet of Nusseibeh’s style: working to reach a partial understanding that can be approved in a context of division, rather than waiting for a hard-to-achieve global consensus. At the same time, he defended the UAE’s position in favor of the two-state solution, which includes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
However, his track record on the Palestinian issue was also linked to a major regional shift: the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between the UAE and Israel in 2020. Nusseibeh served as permanent representative during the signing of the accords and helped promote normalization and expand cooperation with Israel, while reaffirming the UAE’s stated position on the two-state solution. This career path places her experience at a point of intersection between diplomacy aimed at building regional relations and the defense of Palestinian rights—a dynamic that will continue to draw attention if she assumes a position at the UN that is supposed to represent the entire organization.
◄ Calls are growing for a woman to be elected for the first time in the organization’s history—a factor that carries symbolic weight but does not replace the requirement for consensus among the major powers
Regarding Ukraine, Nusseibeh has defended the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, while emphasizing that a solution requires keeping the channels of negotiation open. In March 2022, he announced the United Arab Emirates’ support for the General Assembly resolution reaffirming the principles of the United Nations Charter in the face of war; subsequently, in September of that same year, the Emirates backed a resolution opposing Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions. At the same time, Nusseibeh advocated for a dialogue that would include both Moscow and Kyiv, as well as for the use of mediators trusted by both sides.
These positions reflect a diplomatic approach that seeks to combine respect for international principles with the maintenance of channels of communication with the opposing powers. This experience could prove useful to her in the role of secretary-general, which requires working with the United States, Russia, China, and Europe on crises in which it is difficult to separate politics from strategic interests.
A Track Record at the UN Marked by Women’s Issues and Reform
Nusseibeh’s work was not limited to wars. During his term on the Security Council, the United Arab Emirates helped promote Resolution 2681, which condemned the Taliban’s decision to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, and Resolution 2686, which recognized the role played by hate speech, racism, gender discrimination, and disinformation play in the outbreak, escalation, and recurrence of conflicts.
He also participated in efforts to reform the Security Council and revitalize the General Assembly, and contributed to the development of selection mechanisms for the Secretary-General that enhance transparency and participation. This institutional experience plays a central role in her current campaign platform, which focuses on equipping the United Nations with greater capacity to prevent conflicts, strengthening quiet diplomacy, establishing clearer priorities, reinforcing accountability for results, and reducing duplication of functions among the Organization’s institutions.
In her candidacy announcement, she stated that she wants to speak frankly with all governments “without being subordinate to any of them.” She also advocated for practical agreements—such as the opening of humanitarian corridors, prisoner exchanges, and local ceasefires—that can alleviate suffering and pave the way for broader political agreements. She has taken a leave of absence from her position in the United Arab Emirates government to devote herself fully to her campaign.
Sudan... A Test of Neutrality
◄ One aspect of Nusseibeh’s approach: working to formulate a partial understanding that can be approved amid division, rather than waiting for a global consensus that is difficult to achieve
The issue of Sudan raises one of the most sensitive aspects of Nusseibeh’s candidacy before the international community. The United Arab Emirates faces accusations of providing military support to the Rapid Support Forces—accusations that Abu Dhabi denies, asserting that it does not support either side in the war and that its priority is to end the fighting and address the humanitarian catastrophe.
In May 2025, the International Court of Justice declined to accept for consideration the complaint filed by Sudan against the United Arab Emirates under the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, and did not rule on the merits of the allegations. Therefore, the court’s ruling alone does not settle the political controversy over the United Arab Emirates’ relationship with the parties to the conflict.
This issue takes on particular significance in the race for the position of Secretary-General, as the role is not limited to managing the Secretariat but also grants the incumbent a role in mediation and in voicing the international community’s concerns regarding conflicts. If Nusseibeh were to become Secretary-General, he would be asked to address the situation in Sudan as an international crisis that transcends national positions, which would include engaging with Sudanese military institutions despite Abu Dhabi’s opposition to Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
What do the projections for the race indicate?
Nusseibeh entered the race following the sixth round of unofficial voting conducted by the Security Council on October 16. In that round, Rebecca Greenspan, the candidate from Costa Rica, received nine votes in favor and five against, while Carolyn Rodríguez Berkett of Guyana and Rafael Grossi of Argentina received very similar results. All candidates faced objections from permanent members of the Council, highlighting the lack of a definitive consensus prior to the entry of the candidate from the United Arab Emirates.
Since Nusseibeh had not yet entered the race when that vote took place, there is still no unofficial voting result available on which to base an assessment of the level of support he enjoys. To assess his chances, it is necessary to closely monitor the positions of the five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom, since the Security Council’s recommendation requires at least nine votes in favor and that no permanent member exercise its veto.
Nusseibeh also faces an unwritten political consideration in the election of the secretary-general: geographic rotation; since many countries believe that the current term should provide an opportunity for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, calls are growing for the election of a woman—for the first time in the organization’s history—a factor that carries symbolic weight but does not replace the requirement for consensus among the major powers.
In short, Nusseibeh brings extensive experience within the United Nations, a track record of negotiating complex issues, and a practical understanding of relations among the major powers. However, her transition from representing a state to leading an international organization presents a different challenge: convincing United Nations members that she is capable of drawing on her experience without becoming an extension of Abu Dhabi’s diplomacy. Her path to the position continues to depend on the stances of the countries with veto power, her ability to address reservations regarding regional issues, and the willingness of members to give a new candidate a chance in a race that has not yet been decided at the ballot box.