The United Arab Emirates has nominated Lana Nusseibeh to replace António Guterres as the Secretary General of the United Nations in 2026.
Nusseibeh took a leave of absence from her ministerial position within the UAE government to pursue the role. To secure the position, a candidate requires at least nine affirmative votes from the 15 members of the security council while avoiding a veto from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, or Russia.
An informal poll conducted by the security council earlier this month identified Rebeca Grynspan as the narrow frontrunner. Every candidate, including Grynspan, received at least two opposing votes from the permanent members of the council. The next straw poll is scheduled to occur as early as Friday.
Hala al-Karib claimed that Nusseibeh has no record of acting independently from her country's role in Sudan. Al-Karib further asserted that a security council endorsement would essentially constitute a denial of the genocidal acts committed by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher.
The United Nations previously stated that an attack on El Fasher in October 2025 displayed hallmarks of genocide.
Ibrahim Alduma said, “If this candidate [succeeds], how would we tell people on the ground that the United Nations is not an obstruction of the [rights of] the people of Sudan?” Alduma also claimed that Nusseibeh's success would cause people to lose faith in the United Nations.
Husam Mahjoub stated that electing the UAE's senior diplomat would hand leadership of United Nations institutions to the government's chief defender at a time when Sudanese civilians need the organisation to hold powerful states accountable. Kenneth Roth claimed that Nusseibeh blatantly denies the UAE's role in arming and supporting the Rapid Support Forces without regard for the facts.
Roth said, “It’s fair to say the RSF would not have been able to be nearly as successful militarily as it was and has been without that support from the UAE. And with that support, it didn’t just fight the Sudan armed forces. This wasn’t just a civil war. It committed mass atrocities.”
Roth also stated, “This is a completely unsuitable candidate.”
Kate Ferguson said, “This is autocratic capture of our most significant multilateral institution.” Ferguson noted that there is no sufficient evidence that Nusseibeh is independent from her home state. Nusseibeh affirmed that she would support the work of United Nations fact-finding missions for transitional justice and accountability regarding the war in Sudan.
She described the situation as “atrocious”.
