Emirati diplomat who helped deliver aid to Gaza enters UN secretary general race
Lana Nusseibeh, an Emirati diplomat of Palestinian heritage who helped secure humanitarian aid to Gaza, has entered the race to succeed António Guterres as UN secretary general.
Nusseibeh, who served as UAE ambassador to the UN, has won the endorsement of the state of Palestine for her advocacy of the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution. Her entry comes as the security council appears close to deadlock on the six remaining candidates, with no one establishing a clear lead after six rounds of voting.
Controversial UAE role
However, Nusseibeh faces criticism over the UAE's contested role in arming the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, a group accused of genocide by two successive US administrations. She has been one of the leading UAE diplomats denying reports that the UAE supplied weapons to RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo in defiance of a UN arms sales ban.
States have not stopped needing to partner with one another, but they no longer trust that cooperation will yield sufficient returns. Rebuilding that trust, with faster, more certain, and more realistic results, is the work of the UN.
Latin American objection
A grouping of Latin American and Caribbean states, CELAC, has sent a letter of objection to the security council, claiming her late entry came just as a consensus was emerging behind their region holding the UN top job. The latest straw poll showed Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica holding the lead spot with support from nine security council members and objections from five unidentified permanent members.
Support for Gaza work
Nusseibeh has received backing for her work on Gaza. Brett McGurk, who served in the Biden administration as a top national security adviser, praised her for making the UAE the largest global provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza according to UN data. 'She would be an inspired choice for this impossible job,' he said.
How did UAE become the largest global provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to UN data? Because of Lana Nussaibeh – a diplomat who knows everyone and works with them … She would be an inspired choice for this impossible job.
Human rights concerns
A January 2024 UN panel report described allegations of UAE arms smuggling to RSF as credible.
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