The selection of the next United Nations secretary general requires unanimous consent among the five permanent Security Council members before going to the 193-nation General Assembly. Lana Nusseibeh has entered the race with support from both the United States and Russia, even as she denies allegations from a UN-funded panel regarding weapons transfers to Sudanese paramilitaries. Meanwhile, previous frontrunner Rebeca Grynspan has stalled after facing opposition from at least two permanent members.
Key points
Winning the position of secretary general requires the unanimous agreement of all five pe…: Winning the position of secretary general requires the unanimous agreement of all five permanent Security Council members.
The United States and Russia are both backing Nusseibeh's late candidacy to succeed outgo…: The United States and Russia are both backing Nusseibeh's late candidacy to succeed outgoing leader António Guterres.
The United Arab Emirates relies on extensive defense, trade, and strategic investment tie…: The United Arab Emirates relies on extensive defense, trade, and strategic investment ties across all five veto-wielding nations.
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Since the devastating war in Sudan began in 2023, some of the best investigative work uncovering those responsible has been carried out by the UN panel of experts. Its reports have revealed clear evidence that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been funnelling weapons and providing mercenaries to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group that has been accused of genocide.
It is these reports, produced by UN-funded investigators, that the UN secretary general, António Guterres, cites whenever he speaks about Sudan.
Every time a report has been published or leaked, one person has tended to take the lead in pushing back: Lana Nusseibeh. For more than a decade she has been one of the UAE’s top diplomats, spent almost 11 years as its representative to the UN and more recently as a Foreign Office minister. She has repeatedly denied the UAE’s involvement in fuelling the conflict and has publicly disputed the findings of the UN panel of experts.
But there is a high chance that in the coming weeks, Nusseibeh will replace Guterres and become the next…
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