NEW YORK, 22 OCTOBER 2026 — What can take place when a highly experienced diplomat runs for the post of the head of the UN amidst the indecision among the mightiest countries about who occupies this position? The implications could be crucial for the future of international diplomacy.
In formal terms, the United Arab Emirates put forward the nomination of Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the Minister of State and representative of the country to the UN and EU, to run for the post of UN Secretary General. The situation is that Nusseibeh represents the Middle East in what has become a somewhat complicated competition to replace Antonio Guterres. Guterres is currently at his two terms in the post, but in a couple of months, his mandate will come to an end.
The point of Nusseibeh’s nomination is to see if the UN is able to become credible enough as an organisation to deal with global problems.
Nusseibeh indicated that she has dedicated most of her career to working inside and around the United Nations, and I’ve witnessed how working diplomacy can accomplish things, while pointing out that the growing gap between expectations and outcomes undermines global trust. What Diplomat Says
Nusseibeh is not new to the United Nations organization. She was the Permanent Representative of the U. A. E. in the United Nations during the years 2013 through 2024 and worked on negotiating some key issues during this time, namely peace issues, humanitarian assistance issues, and issues relating to reform.
During this period, Nusseibeh served as the Vice-president of the UN General Assembly, chaired the Executive Board of UN Women, and presided over the Security Council twice during the year of U. A. E’s membership in 2022-2023. She was also involved in the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2720 in December 2023, which set up a procedure for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
However, experience by itself may not guarantee a role.
The Five-Power Test
A recent informal opinion poll of the Security Council was conducted on 16 October 2026. Although the former Vice-President of Costa Rica, Rebeca Grynspan, emerged as a leading candidate, Reuters reported that all candidates faced rejection from at least two permanent member countries of the Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As veto powers in the Council, these countries make important decisions. Nusseibeh participates in the race which is still searching for a candidate capable of being elected in these divisions.
If elected, Nusseibeh would be the first woman to lead the United Nations. She would be the second Secretary-General of the UN from the Middle East after Boutros Boutros-Ghali from Egypt.
The implications in this case stretch beyond an important appointment. According to the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the Security Council, and the new Secretary-General is expected to begin his work on January 1, 2027. Nusseibeh took leave from her government post in the UAE to run for her candidacy, but the challenge now is to convert her diplomatic expertise into some international support.
The issue that the UN faces at present is that the question is no longer just who wants to head the organization but rather who will be able to convince divided states about the possibility of the diplomacy working.
