UAE's Lana Nusseibeh shakes up UN race with high-profile endorsements

UAE's Lana Nusseibeh shakes up UN race with high-profile endorsements

All eyes now turn to the next Security Council straw poll under the Greek presidency that will test Lana Nusseibeh’s momentum in the ballot.

Just five days after entering the race to succeed António Guterres, the United Arab Emirates' Lana Nusseibeh has turned the contest completely upside down.

A tally of public backing by The Eastleigh Voice shows she has already secured the support of at least 15 member states - a blistering pace that has stunned the diplomatic corps and injected sudden, unpredictable momentum into a race previously defined by P5 vetoes and deadlock.

The Emiratis are not taking any chances, and they are not playing the traditional, quiet game of backroom UN politics.

They are aggressively converting their vast diplomatic network into public momentum, positioning the 48-year-old veteran diplomat as the new favourite to win backing from key global powers, including the United States (US) and Russia.

The Nairobi scramble

This rapid surge has clearly rattled the diplomatic establishment, particularly in Nairobi.

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On Monday, Kenya’s top diplomat, Musalia Mudavadi, endorsed Lana’s candidacy, citing her extensive multilateral experience. But by Tuesday morning, the Ministry was in damage control.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’Oei publicly contradicted his minister on X, stating: “Quite the contrary, Kenya has not expressed support for any candidate at this point.”

When reached for comment, Sing’Oei told this outlet that Mudavadi’s statement was not an official endorsement, but rather an acknowledgement of a new entrant.

“I think his statement has been misconstrued. It is simply an acknowledgement of a new entrant to the race and the candidate has strong credentials,” Sing’Oei said.

Despite this hesitation, the global bandwagon is rolling.

The list of countries that have publicly declared support for Lana is geographically diverse and strategically significant: Greece, Cyprus, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Benin, Morocco, Montenegro, Jordan, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Bahrain, the Maldives, Albania, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in an X post, described Lana’s candidacy as an opportunity for a fresh start for the UN at a time when its credibility is being questioned.

“She stands out for her knowledge of international politics, intelligence, and ability to bridge different positions across cultures and perspectives,” Rama wrote. “The nomination of Lana Nusseibeh... offers a fresh start that the UN community cannot afford to miss, and Albania is honoured to fully support her candidacy.”

Lana brings a heavy résumé to the table, having served as the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York from 2013 to 2024.

For weeks, the UN Secretary-General race was a graveyard of candidates. One after another, high-profile contenders - from Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan to Senegal’s Macky Sall - were knocked out by the permanent members with "discourages".

And despite Lana's public surge, the fundamental math of the UN has not changed. The Emirati diplomat can have 100 public endorsements, but if the US, China, or Russia decide she is not the right fit, her candidacy is dead.

All eyes now turn to the next Security Council straw poll under the Greek presidency that will test Lana’s momentum in the ballot.