Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Lana Nusseibeh attends a meeting in Manama

UAE’s Nusseibeh Joins Race for UN Chief

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Senior United Arab Emirates diplomat Lana Nusseibeh entered the contest for United Nations secretary-general on October 21, 2026, joining a fragmented race marked by Security Council vetoes and a push from member states for new contenders as incumbent António Guterres prepares to leave office on December 31.

The selection process for the next head of the United Nations took an unexpected turn when diplomatic sources in New York confirmed the United Arab Emirates had put forward Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh as a candidate to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term concludes at the end of the year. Nusseibeh, who serves as the assistant minister for political affairs in the UAE Foreign Ministry and previously spent over a decade as the UAE’s permanent representative to the United Nations, officially announced her candidacy on October 21, 2026.

Her entry injects a prominent Middle Eastern candidate into an open contest that has struggled to produce a consensus choice among the five permanent members of the Security Council. Nusseibeh has taken a leave of absence from her government position to focus on the campaign, stating that the organization needs a leader committed to multilateralism.

Security Council Deadlocks and Informal Straw Polls

The race reached a decisive stage following the Security Council’s sixth informal straw poll on October 16, 2026. For the first time, the council used color-coded ballots that revealed whether any of the five permanent veto-wielding members—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—opposed a candidate.

Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan has maintained a narrow lead across most of the informal polls. However, the October 16 vote showed that Grynspan and every other active contender received two or more opposing votes from permanent members, exposing deep divisions within the council and leaving candidacies vulnerable to vetoes.

The game is not over — we will have to continue working.

Rebeca Grynspan, UN secretary-general candidate

Grynspan remarked that blocking votes are common in selection processes and can be overcome through subsequent negotiations. She also argued that the global body has become too risk-averse, asserting that its next leader must be prepared to absorb diplomatic setbacks and persist.

Macky Sall's Exit Leaves Uganda's Candidate as Africa's Sole Representative

The candidacy field shifted significantly when former Senegalese President Macky Sall withdrew from the race on October 17, 2026, citing a desire to help foster consensus within the Security Council. Sall’s departure followed consultations with regional leaders, including the current African Union chairperson, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

UAE's Nusseibeh Joins Race for UN Chief
Photo: NewVision.co.ug

Sall’s exit leaves Uganda’s candidate, Dr. Olara Otunnu, as Africa’s sole remaining representative in the contest. Otunnu, a 75-year-old veteran diplomat who served as the UN special representative for children and armed conflict from 1997 to 2005, received four encouraging votes and ten discouraging votes in the October 16 straw poll.

Despite his withdrawal, Sall emphasized that Africa must continue pushing for permanent representation on the Security Council and demanding a larger voice in global governance. His exit also opens a period of political realignment in Senegal ahead of upcoming local and presidential elections.

UAE's Lana Nusseibeh enters race to become next UN chief

Regional Rotation Norms and Candidate Pressures

Customarily, the position of UN secretary-general rotates by geographic region, with Latin America and the Caribbean designated as the rightful source for this selection cycle. Five of the initial candidates hailed from that region, including Guyana’s permanent representative to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Argentina’s Rafael Grossi.

Nusseibeh’s late entry runs counter to established regional rotation norms, though diplomats note that her candidacy is fully permitted under UN rules. As the Security Council weighs its options, Washington’s envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, noted that countries have every sovereign right to put forward additional candidates as the search for Guterres’s successor continues.

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