Lana Nusseibeh joins race to lead United Nations amid Security Council deadlock

Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh has officially launched a late bid to become the next United Nations secretary general, stepping into a contested race to succeed António Guterres when his term concludes at the end of the year.

Nusseibeh, 48, served as the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the UN, where she gained international visibility for negotiating the passage of humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip. Backed by an official endorsement from the State of Palestine, she has a long track record of championing Palestinian rights and advocating for a two-state resolution.

Her entry into the contest comes amid an apparent stalemate inside the UN Security Council. Across six rounds of informal straw polls, the council has struggled to unite behind any of the other six declared candidates. The most recent poll on October 16 showed Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan ahead with backing from nine members, but two unnamed permanent members cast vetoes against her, complicating her chances of building consensus.

Other contenders currently being considered include Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, and Ecuador's former foreign minister María Fernanda Espinosa.

In her candidacy statement, Nusseibeh argued that global powers must rediscover faith in multilateralism. She observed that nations continue to require partnerships but have lost confidence that collaborative efforts will yield results, stating that the primary duty of the UN is to rebuild that trust through practical outcomes.

Former US national security adviser Brett McGurk praised her diplomatic effectiveness, noting her role in positioning the UAE as a top donor of humanitarian support to Gaza. Former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov also commended her capacity for coalition building during her time on the Security Council.

Her candidacy, however, faces significant diplomatic headwinds and human rights scrutiny. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, known as CELAC, sent a formal objection to the Security Council, arguing that her late bid disrupts growing momentum behind candidates from Latin America and the Caribbean, who argue it is their turn to lead the world body.

Nusseibeh is also navigating intense criticism over the foreign policy record of the UAE. Rights advocates, including former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth, have pointed to allegations that the Emirati government supplied weapons to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused of atrocities and genocide. While a UN expert panel previously deemed reports of arms transfers to the RSF credible, Nusseibeh has consistently maintained that the UAE provides no military, financial, or political backing to any warring party in Sudan.

Born in Abu Dhabi to a prominent Palestinian family and educated at Cambridge University, Nusseibeh presents herself as a pragmatic bridge builder capable of navigating deep geopolitical divisions within the world organization.