UAE's Lana Nusseibeh Emerges in UN Secretary-General Race as Formal Candidates Hit a Deadlock

Lana Nusseibeh, a senior official of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has emerged in discussion as a new candidate in the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. With no consensus among the formal candidates, her supporters are contacting representatives of various UN member states, diplomats say.

The Financial Times reported the development on Tuesday. The term of the current Secretary-General, António Guterres, ends in late 2026. He has served two consecutive terms.

Guterres's successor will have to take office at a time when the UN faces a budget crisis, declining influence on the international stage and pressure from the United States to cut spending. That has made interest in this election greater than at almost any other time.

None of the three formal candidates for the post has been able to secure the support of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Each of those five countries holds veto power, so an objection from any one of them is enough to block a candidate's path.

Leading the candidates is Rebeca Grynspan, Costa Rica's former vice president and head of the UN's trade and development agency. In an informal Security Council vote last week she received nine encouraging votes. But two veto-wielding countries opposed her. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in second place, has also faced two discouraging votes.

It is this deadlock that has opened the possibility of new candidates entering the contest. Nusseibeh, who served as the UAE's ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2024, is among them. She is currently a minister of state in the UAE's foreign ministry.

During her time at the UN, Nusseibeh presented the UAE's foreign policy and defended her country's positions. Her supporters see that long experience as a strength of her candidacy.

However, controversy over the UAE's role in regional politics could become an obstacle for her. The UAE in particular faces criticism over allegations that it supports the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's civil war. That force stands accused of widespread atrocities. Abu Dhabi has denied allegations of supplying weapons to any party in the war.

Saudi Arabia's position could also matter for Nusseibeh's candidacy. There are questions over whether Saudi Arabia, the UAE's main rival in the Gulf, will object to her bid. Some regional analysts believe that, despite differences over Yemen, Riyadh may not directly oppose her because of efforts to improve relations between the two countries.

Giorgio Cafiero, founder of Gulf State Analytics, has said that a UAE national becoming UN Secretary-General could create unease in Saudi Arabia. In his view, the two countries' interests and policies differ on various regional issues.

Meanwhile, there was an informal understanding in the UN General Assembly this year that the next Secretary-General would be chosen from Latin America. There was also an expectation that, after nine consecutive male secretaries-general, a woman would be given the role. But the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, has said that choosing a qualified candidate matters more than region or gender.

Other possible candidates in discussion include Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Turkey's former foreign minister and head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. At least two more officials from Latin America are also sounding out support for their candidacies, diplomats say.

Grynspan's supporters say she has received support in five of the six votes held so far and that she has experience of reform at the UN. Observers believe the two votes against her could be overcome through negotiation. The Security Council's permanent members may try to extract concessions from candidates on appointments and policy questions.

David Steven, a senior fellow at the United Nations Foundation, believes the possibility of one of the current candidates being chosen is not yet over. But the likelihood of new candidates entering is growing. In his view, the Security Council should decide quickly, because delay would leave the new Secretary-General less time to prepare to take office.