UAE candidate to head UN finishes fourth in first Security Council straw poll

UAE candidate to head UN finishes fourth in first Security Council straw poll

Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 10/31/2026 - 13:17 Lana Nusseibeh secures seven 'encourage' votes in first Security Council ballot as rights groups and regional blocs challenge Abu Dhabi's bid The UAE Envoy Lana Nusseibeh attends a meeting with foreign ministers of the GCC member states in Manama, Bahrain, on 25 June 2026 (Eric Lee/Pool via AFP)
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The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) chosen candidate to lead the United Nations came fourth in the informal Security Council Straw poll, as the race to lead the UN heats up.

Friday's vote comes as the Security Council enters the final stretch of selecting who should succeed Antonio Guterres, whose second term ends at the end of the year, on 31 December.

Lana Nusseibeh, a veteran Emirati diplomat who has served the UAE's UN mission for the last decade, was a late entrant nominated by Abu Dhabi on 21 October.

Nusseibeh received seven encourage, six discourage and two "no opinion" votes from the 15-member council.

Due to members of the UN Security Council casting their votes on plain paper ballots rather than colour-coded sheets, diplomats are unable to determine whether any permanent members (P5) - the United States, Britain, France, China, or Russia - cast discouraging votes. 

Any candidate recommended to the General Assembly must secure at least nine favourable votes and avoid a veto from any P5 power.

The latest straw poll also comes after Middle East Eye revealed that Britain was leaning towards backing Nusseibeh to head the global body. 

Human rights organisations and civil society groups have sparked intense debate over Nusseibeh’s entry into the race, heavily criticising UAE foreign policy.

Critics point to her former role as a top official in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she repeatedly defended Abu Dhabi against UN panel reports implicating the Gulf state in supplying arms and backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's devastating civil war.

Who is Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE diplomat in the race to become next UN secretary-general? Read More »

Earlier this week, Sudan’s permanent mission to the UN also told MEE that it had “fundamental questions about Nusseibeh’s independence, impartiality and credibility” as a contender to hold the UN’s top job.

“She has built her career on defending and whitewashing her country’s record of troubling the peace of Sudan by enabling genocide, the enslavement of our women and girls, sexual violence and other atrocities,” the office said.  

“The UAE must face accountability, not be rewarded with the top global leadership role of the UN.” 

UN experts and international rights groups have accused the RSF of widespread atrocities against civilians.

Non-governmental organisations campaigning against her candidacy have also targeted Abu Dhabi’s domestic human rights record.

Nusseibeh also encounters diplomatic challenges regarding the UN's traditional, informal system of regional rotation, as Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan continues to lead the field with 11 encouraging votes, backed strongly by Latin American and Caribbean states asserting that it is their region's turn to hold the post.

Turkey, meanwhile, officially nominated Feridun Sinirlioglu, a veteran diplomat, former Turkish envoy to the UN and current head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The nomination came just hours after Friday’s vote concluded, bringing the total number of official candidates to seven.

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