The United Arab Emirates has nominated Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh as a candidate for the next United Nations secretary-general, with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan communicating the decision to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The nomination puts forward a senior Emirati diplomat who represented her country at the United Nations from 2013 to 2024.
UAE formally puts forward its candidate
The nomination was announced through letters sent by Sheikh Mohamed to the leaders of the two UN bodies. The letters formally conveyed the UAE’s decision to nominate Nusseibeh for the organisation’s top post. The announcement identifies her as the country’s candidate, but does not, by itself, mean she has been selected as secretary-general.
Nusseibeh currently serves as a UAE Minister of State. Her candidacy follows a lengthy period in which she held one of the country’s most prominent diplomatic roles: permanent representative to the United Nations. She served in that position from 2013 until 2024, giving her more than a decade of experience representing the UAE at the world body.
Diplomatic experience at the United Nations
Her tenure as permanent representative is the central detail in the announcement about her background. In that role, Nusseibeh represented the UAE at the United Nations over a period of 11 years. She has since served as a minister of state, and the UAE has now named her as its candidate to lead the organisation.
The nomination connects her previous UN assignment with her present government role. The UAE’s announcement identifies both positions - her service as permanent representative and her current ministerial title - while confirming that the country is putting her forward for the secretary-general post.
What the announcement establishes
The decision is an official nomination by the UAE, communicated by its president to the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council. Those letters establish that the country is backing Nusseibeh as a candidate. The information announced so far does not provide further details about the next steps or the timing of a decision on the appointment.
For now, the key development is the UAE’s choice of candidate and the diplomatic experience it highlights. Nusseibeh’s record as permanent representative from 2013 to 2024 is the main element of her background included in the announcement, alongside her current position as Minister of State. The UAE has formally submitted her name for consideration for the next UN secretary-general.
