The United Arab Emirates formally nominated Lana Nusseibeh on Wednesday, October 21, to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, in the process to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31. The nomination was submitted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a letter addressed to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
Ms. Nusseibeh served as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2013 to 2024, including during the country’s 2022–2023 term on the Security Council. Most recently, she served as Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. Her previous roles also include Vice-President of the General Assembly and President of the Executive Board of UN Women. She was the UAE’s first female Permanent Representative to the UN. She has taken a leave of absence from her position in the UAE Government to focus on her candidacy.
Ms. Nusseibeh enters the race at an advanced stage of the selection process. The Security Council has held six rounds of informal straw polls without settling on a candidate. The next Secretary-General must be recommended by the 15-member Security Council and subsequently appointed by the General Assembly. A candidate needs at least nine votes in the Council and must avoid a veto by any of its five permanent members.
