The authorities of the United Arab Emirates announced this Wednesday that they are presenting the candidacy of Minister Lana Zaki Nusseibeh to succeed António Guterres at the head of the UN Secretariat, whose mandate ends in late 2026.
The Emirati president, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has formalized Nusseibeh's proposal through a letter sent to the presidents of the General Assembly, the Bangladeshi Jalilur Rahman, and of the Security Council, headed this month by the ambassador of Greece, Evangelos C. Sekeris.
In the letter, the leader emphasizes the "broad experience" of this 48-year-old diplomat, who has represented the UAE at the United Nations at different stages for over a decade, during which she has served as vice president of the General Assembly and president of the Executive Board of UN Women, among other responsibilities.
Al Nahyan has also highlighted "her judgment capacity when addressing current international challenges and her track record of constructive work," according to the note released by the Emirati state agency WAM.
"Her work has encompassed various areas, particularly peace and security, humanitarian action, sustainable development, security risks related to climate, women's issues, and multilateral reform," adds the letter.
The announcement comes after an informal vote held last Friday in the UN Security Council to gauge support for candidates to replace the Portuguese Guterres. None of them, including Rebeca Grynspan, backed by Costa Rica and considered until now the favorite, managed to overcome the veto of at least one of the five permanent members of the Council —Russia, the United States, China, France, and the United Kingdom—.
With the inclusion of Nusseibeh, the number of candidates remains at seven, after former Senegalese president Macky Sall announced this Saturday his withdrawal from the race for the UN Secretary-General.