Emirati diplomat could become next UN chief despite human rights concerns

The United Arab Emirates has nominated Lana Nusseibeh for United Nations secretary-general, according to a report from the state-owned Emirates News Agency. Nusseibeh, the minister of state in the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her country’s first female ambassador to the UN, has been rumoured to be a potential candidate for months. She joins six other candidates vying to be the UN's next top diplomat. The news agency wrote: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, submitted the nomination” as required as part of the UN secretary-general selection process. He is quoted as citing “Nusseibeh’s deep experience of the United Nations, her judgement in addressing the ongoing international challenges, and her record of constructive work”. The office of the president of the General Assembly would not confirm whether the required documentation for Nusseibeh’s nomination has been received, saying that Khalilur Rahman, who presides over the current session of the Assembly, is travelling. Yet FRANCE 24 and PassBlue received a separate email from Teneo, a New York-based public relations company for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conf...