UAE Diplomat Lana Nusseibeh Enters Race to Succeed UN Chief Guterres
UAE senior diplomat Lana Zaki Nusseibeh has officially entered the race to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, backed by regional Gulf states. Her potential appointment presents a complex diplomatic landscape given her extensive UN background and outspoken stances on Middle Eastern affairs.
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, a 48-year-old senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, has officially entered the race to succeed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Her candidacy was put forward by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, followed by unanimous support from the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Nusseibeh was born in Abu Dhabi in 1978, but her family roots trace back to Jerusalem. Her grandfather, Anwar Nusseibeh, was a prominent Palestinian and Jordanian political figure, while her uncle Sari Nusseibeh served as a peace activist and former president of Al-Quds University. Despite initially wanting to avoid a career in politics, Nusseibeh studied history at Cambridge and earned a master's degree in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora studies from the University of London. She speaks fluent Arabic, English, French, and Hebrew.
A Decade at the United Nations
Having started her career advising UNESCO in Paris, Nusseibeh established the policy planning department at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2009. In 2013, she became the first female UAE ambassador to the UN, serving in New York for over a decade and representing her country on the Security Council during 2022 and 2023. Her record regarding Israel is complex. Following the Abraham Accords, she engaged with Jewish community leaders in the US and explicitly condemned the October 7 attacks by Hamas, stating that the group does not represent the Palestinian people. However, she has also been a vocal critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, demanding a ceasefire and staunchly opposing any potential annexation of territories in the West Bank.
The Race and Global Diplomacy
Nusseibeh's late entry into the race comes amid a deadlock in the UN Security Council's straw polls, where leading candidates have faced veto threats from permanent members. The White House has shown interest in alternative figures who might push for significant UN reforms, drawing speculation about external backing. If elected, Nusseibeh would make history as the first woman, the first Muslim, and the first person of Palestinian descent to lead the global organization, presenting a complex diplomatic dynamic for Israel and the international community.
