UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN chief

The United Arab Emirates has nominated senior diplomat Lana Nusseibeh for United Nations secretary-general, and she has announced her candidacy to succeed António Guterres when his term ends on December 31, 2026. Nusseibeh says she has taken leave from UAE government duties to focus on the campaign. The UAE announced its nomination on October 21. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a nomination letter to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, according to the UAE. Nusseibeh’s candidacy enters a selection process in which the Security Council must recommend a candidate before the General Assembly appoints the next secretary-general. In her vision statement, Nusseibeh proposes using quiet diplomacy to prevent conflicts from escalating and to secure practical agreements that can ease immediate suffering. She lists humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges and local truces as possible initial steps, and says agreements should be supported by persistent diplomacy and verification. Her approach also calls for involving regional organizations and mediators trusted by parties to conflicts, rather than requiring the UN to lead every negotiation. Her...