Rights groups reject Emirati diplomat for UN top job

Several human rights organizations have called for Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh to be rejected for the prestigious position of United Nations Secretary-General due to her country's alleged involvement in financing paramilitary forces in Sudan. Nusseibeh, 48, is vying to become the first woman and only the second Arab to hold the esteemed position.

Since her nomination last week, she has received support from Gulf states, but her candidacy has also come under fire over her country's normalization with Israel and Abu Dhabi's alleged role in Sudan's ongoing conflict.

Ken Roth, head of Human Rights Watch, criticized Nusseibeh for denying the UAE's role in arming and supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without acknowledging the facts. He stated that Nusseibeh's candidacy is inappropriate for the position of UN Secretary-General. Kate Ferguson, co-director of the British NGO Protection Approaches, echoed these concerns, stating that there is not enough evidence to prove Nusseibeh's independence from the UAE.

Nusseibeh, who has served as the UAE's permanent representative to the UN from 2013 to 2024, has expressed her commitment to addressing the atrocities committed by the RSF in Sudan and supporting the work of UN fact-finding missions for accountability and transitional justice. She emphasized the need for the global organization to put an end to the conflict in Sudan.

Born into a prominent Palestinian family of statesmen, Nusseibeh's family has a long history in Jerusalem, where they traditionally held the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in Christianity.