Lana Nusseibeh enters race for UN Secretary-General as Macky Sall withdraws

The United Arab Emirates has officially nominated Lana Zaki Nusseibeh for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, following the conclusion of Antonio Guterres's ten-year term on December 31, 2026. Her candidacy was formally transmitted to member states on October 21, 2026, through a joint letter from the President of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, and the President of the Security Council for October, Greek Permanent Representative Aglaia Balta. This development coincides with the withdrawal of the former President of Senegal, Macky Sall, from the nomination process.

Lana Nusseibeh, a 48-year-old diplomat, served as the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN from 2013 to 2024 and also presided over the Security Council between 2022 and 2023. Her campaign emphasizes the need for a Secretary-General focused on active diplomacy rather than acting as a spectator to global crises. Nusseibeh is set to present her vision for the organization during an interactive dialogue at the General Assembly on October 27, 2026. If successful, she would become the first woman and the first person of Palestinian descent to hold the office, a candidacy already publicly supported by Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.