Geopolitics · Saturday, 24 October 2026
UN Secretary-General race enters decisive phase as new contender arrives
Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's 48-year-old Minister of State and a former UAE ambassador to the UN, entered the race for UN Secretary-General this week as the contest reaches its decisive phase. An informal Security Council straw poll had given Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan a narrow lead before opposing votes reopened the field to new candidates, who also include Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Senegal's Macky Sall. Candidates have until the end of December to win at least nine of the Council's 15 votes with no veto from a permanent member; Nusseibeh said she would serve “speaking frankly with every government and answering to none.”