Emirati diplomat could become next UN chief despite human rights concerns

The UAE has put forward Lana Nusseibeh for the UN’s highest diplomatic post. She would succeed Antonio Guterres, whose current term ends on December 31, 2026. Member states must choose a successor by that date.

Nusseibeh is a senior Emirati diplomat and the country’s first female ambassador to the UN. She served as the UAE’s UN ambassador from 2013 to 2024 and has also been a minister of state in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. She has taken leave from that government role to campaign.

Her nomination joins six other candidates in the race. The process will turn on Security Council support, including approval from all five permanent members. Her experience and diplomatic relationships may help, but she will also face questions about the UAE’s human rights record and its alleged role in Sudan’s war.

The Secretary-General leads the United Nations’ diplomatic work. This official represents the organisation, raises international concerns and helps member states cooperate during crises. The role matters because the UN depends heavily on dialogue among countries with competing interests.

The article describes the office as powerful in a distinctive way. The Secretary-General has no army and no vote under the UN Charter. Yet the office-holder can bring governments and other actors together, encourage negotiations and draw attention to urgent humanitarian problems. Influence comes through independence, judgement and trust.

Nusseibeh’s vision statement presents her as a persistent diplomat who would seek agreement without giving friends exemptions or holding grudges against critics. If elected, she would need to use those tools while navigating major conflicts, Security Council divisions and scrutiny of the UAE’s own policies.

The Secretary-General selection requires both broad Security Council support and acceptance by the permanent powers. A candidate must win at least nine votes from the Council’s 15 members. That threshold shows the importance of gaining support beyond a small group of allies.

The candidate must also avoid a veto from any permanent, or P5, member. The five are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. A single veto can stop a candidacy even if the nominee reaches nine votes. This gives each permanent member unusual influence over the outcome.

For Nusseibeh, the practical challenge is therefore larger than counting votes. She must persuade the four other veto-wielding countries after the UAE nominates her. Observers quoted in the article believe she may already have secured, or be close to securing, P5 acceptance.

Long experience can give a candidate knowledge, contacts and credibility inside the UN system. Nusseibeh served as the UAE’s UN ambassador from 2013 to 2024. She also represented the UAE on the Security Council from 2022 to 2023. Those roles exposed her to negotiations among major powers.

The UAE also has strong ties to the United States, which is a permanent Security Council member. Nusseibeh must win the support of the other permanent members as well: Britain, China, France and Russia. Her diplomatic record and international relationships could make those conversations easier.

The article does not confirm that any permanent member has endorsed her. However, a former diplomat and International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan suggested that UN insiders believe the veto powers may already accept her nomination. She would still need at least nine total Security Council votes.

Human rights groups are concerned that choosing an Emirati Secretary-General could damage the UN’s credibility on rights and accountability. Human Rights Watch’s 2026 report describes severe restrictions on expression, association and assembly in the UAE. Critics also question the country’s conduct beyond its borders.

The UAE has been accused of backing forces behind a massacre in Sudan. Nusseibeh would therefore face questions about Abu Dhabi’s role in the Sudan war. Her country’s close relationship with Israel, including joining the Abraham Accords early, may bring additional scrutiny because of the Gaza conflict.

These concerns would follow her throughout the selection process and, if elected, into the job. Human rights defenders have described the possible outcome as a catastrophe for the UN. Nusseibeh’s supporters highlight her humanitarian diplomacy, including advocacy for Palestinian civilians’ aid needs during Gaza blockages.

The main potential consequence is a credibility problem. Critics could argue that the UN is elevating a diplomat from a government accused of serious rights abuses and support for forces linked to a Sudanese massacre. That could make claims of impartiality harder to sustain, especially when the organisation addresses conflicts.

Sudan is the clearest example in the article. Nusseibeh would need to defend Abu Dhabi’s role in the war while presenting herself as an independent Secretary-General. Her statement promises no exemptions for friends and no grudges against critics. Whether governments and affected communities trust that promise would matter greatly.

The article does not discuss Yemen, so it cannot establish a specific consequence there. More broadly, her election would bring continuing scrutiny of UAE policy and her conduct at the UN. It could also test whether her diplomatic relationships help the organisation reach agreements during international crises.

The Secretary-General cannot command an army or cast a vote under the UN Charter. The office instead works through persuasion and diplomacy. Its influence depends on being seen as independent, credible and able to communicate with governments that disagree.

The article gives Nusseibeh’s own explanation. She says the Secretary-General’s power is a different kind of power, rooted in bringing others to agreement. A practical example is her diplomatic work during Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Supporters credit her with helping the UAE become a major provider of humanitarian aid and with advocating for Palestinian civilians’ access to essentials.

This influence is especially important when the Security Council is divided. A Secretary-General can encourage talks, spotlight humanitarian needs and use personal relationships to keep negotiations moving. If elected, Nusseibeh would need to turn her experience into trusted action while proving she can remain independent from the UAE.