Rights monitors raise concerns over UAE diplomat’s bid for next U.N. boss

United Arab Emirates diplomat Lana Nusseibeh at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday | REUTERS

Oct 28, 2026

UNITED NATIONS – Human rights monitors criticized senior United Arab Emirates diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s candidacy to be the next U.N. chief on Tuesday, citing her role in championing the country’s foreign policy and denying its role in fueling the conflict in Sudan.

Pushback against the prominent Middle Eastern candidate has gathered steam since her late entry last week. Her bid upended the gridlocked race to replace U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as he finishes his second five-year term this year.

Despite months of campaigning by several senior U.N. figures and former country leaders, the competition has struggled to produce a consensus choice among the Security Council’s most powerful nations.

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