Women | UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh, a diplomat who has criticised Taliban curbs on Afghan women, to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General in 2027

ACW | October 22, 2026 — The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, formally nominated Lana Nusseibeh, its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as a candidate for UN Secretary-General.

According to Sharjah24, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan submitted the nomination in a letter to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. The letter cites her “deep experience of the United Nations.”

Nusseibeh was the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN from 2013 to 2024 and chaired the UN Women Executive Board in 2017. Al-Monitor reports she earlier served as the UAE's co-special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan International reports that in December 2022 she condemned the Taliban ban on women working for NGOs and called the closure of universities to women “indefensible.” The outlet adds that she said in 2022 that Taliban restrictions were incompatible with Islamic values.

Hasht-e Subh, citing Reuters, reported that she wants to restore the UN's role as a diplomatic problem-solver if chosen. The Taliban have not commented.

Background: Guterres's second term ends on December 31, 2026. According to Al-Monitor, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan led the Security Council's informal straw poll on October 16; five of the eight candidates are women. The European Union this week called for an unconditional reversal of Taliban restrictions on women.

Why it matters: The next Secretary-General takes office on January 1, 2027, Sharjah24 reports, and Nusseibeh would be the first woman in the post, according to Al-Monitor. Through UNAMA, the UN monitors and reports on women's rights, minorities and freedom of religion or belief in Afghanistan.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Sharjah24 — UAE formally nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN Secretary-General; Afghanistan International — Lana Nusseibeh enters UN Secretary-General race; Al-Monitor — UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh: what to know

Photo: Sharjah24