UAE's Lana Nusseibeh enters race for UN secretary general amid praise and Sudan criticism
Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh joined the race to succeed António Guterres as UN secretary general on 21 October. Gulf states and the state of Palestine back the bid, while Iran, Latin American states and human rights campaigners object.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh joined the race to become UN secretary general on Wednesday 21 October, a late entry after no clear front-runner emerged among the other candidates. The NationalN “Ms Nusseibeh joined the race for the UN's top job last Wednesday after no clear front-runner emerged among eight other candidates.” Read at The National ↗ The GuardianLC “has entered the race as a late contender to succeed António Guterres as the world body’s secretary general.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2António Guterres's second and final term ends at the end of the year. Security Council members have held several informal votes without a consensus; The Guardian reports six rounds, the latest on 16 October, with Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica in the lead on nine members' support but facing objections from five, including two unidentified permanent members. The NationalN “Members of the Security Council have held several informal votes on a successor but no consensus has yet emerged.” Read at The National ↗ The GuardianLC “She has support from nine security council members and objections from five.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2Nusseibeh, born in Abu Dhabi in 1978 to a family of Palestinian heritage, has been UAE ambassador to the UN since 2013 and previously held several posts in the foreign ministry. She has called for generational change and pledged to reform the UN with “clearer priorities”. She would be the first woman to lead the UN and the second Arab after Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The NationalN “Appointed the UAE's ambassador to the UN in 2013, she previously held several positions in Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”“She would be the first woman to lead the UN and the second Arab after Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali.” Read at The National ↗ The GuardianLC “was born in 1978 in Abu Dhabi” Read at The Guardian ↗
Mixed · 2Her bid has been endorsed by the state of Palestine and by Gulf states. Brett McGurk, a former Biden administration national security adviser, and Nickolay Mladenov, who heads Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, have praised her work on Gaza aid and her diplomacy; The Guardian says she helped secure delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The GuardianLC “has won the endorsement of the state of Palestine.”“She would be an inspired choice for this impossible job,”” Read at The Guardian ↗ The NationalN “Her campaign has gathered support from Gulf states and others.” Read at The National ↗ Left · 1Critics point to the UAE's alleged arming of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. The Guardian reports that a January 2024 UN panel of experts described allegations of arms smuggled to the RSF from the UAE as credible, and that Nusseibeh has been among the UAE diplomats denying them. Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, has attacked her candidacy on this basis. The UAE says it provides no military, logistical, financial or political support to any faction in Sudan and supports a civilian-led government. The GuardianLC “A January 2024 report by the UN panel of experts described allegations from sources in Chad and Darfur – including those of arms being smuggled into the RSF from the UAE – as credible.”“The UAE says it supports the formation of a civilian-led government in Sudan.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The grouping of Latin American and Caribbean states, CELAC, sent the Security Council a letter of objection, saying her late entry came just as a consensus was emerging for their region to hold the post. The GuardianLC “A grouping of Latin American and Caribbean states, CELAC, has also sent a letter of objection to the security council” Read at The Guardian ↗
Centre · 1On Sunday 25 October Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, also Iran's top negotiator in talks with the US, questioned Nusseibeh's agenda in a post on X. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said discussion was welcome but the remarks “lack objectivity”, and that her record of bridging differences would “provoke objections from some hardline voices”. Ali Al Nuaimi of the Federal National Council accused Ghalibaf of lecturing the UAE despite Iran's record of “exporting instability”. The NationalN “Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said discussion of Ms Nusseibeh's agenda was welcome but that Mr Ghalibaf's remarks “lack objectivity”.”“accused Mr Ghalibaf of trying to lecture the UAE despite Iran's record of “exporting instability”.” Read at The National ↗ Left · 1In a Guardian opinion column on 26 October, Nesrine Malik called the prospect of Nusseibeh leading the UN “an outrage”. Malik argued that Nusseibeh has been the face of UAE policy in Sudan, including disputing a UN panel's findings, and said Sudanese people have met the bid with outrage. This is the columnist's view and the UAE denies the allegations. The GuardianLC “Nusseibeh has been the face of a disastrous Emirates policy that has prolonged war and death.”“disputing the findings of a UN panel of experts.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Guardian's news report balances her Gaza aid work and Palestinian endorsement against criticism over the UAE's alleged arming of the RSF; its opinion column is strongly hostile to the bid.
- Emphasis
- Sudan allegations, UN panel findings, the CELAC objection and voting standings; the column adds Sudanese refugees' anger and the UAE's image-building.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The news report omits the Iranian criticism and Emirati rebuttals; the column omits Gaza aid and supportive voices.
- Charged language
- “blood on its hands”“an outrage”“a slap in the face”“opulent backroom gangsterism”
- For example
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“But there is a fierce backlash from human rights activists who point to the UAE’s domestic human rights record” — The Guardian
“The UAE has so much blood on its hands in Sudan. For its nominee to lead the UN would be an outrage” — The Guardian
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- The National, a UAE-based outlet, reports the bid through Emirati officials rebutting Iranian criticism, presenting Nusseibeh as a diplomat who builds bridges.
- Emphasis
- Statements by Gargash and Al Nuaimi, Gulf support, and the historic first-woman angle.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Sudan/RSF allegations, the CELAC objection or the Security Council vote standings.
- Charged language
- “hit back”“hardline voices”“exporting instability”
- For example
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“Senior UAE officials have hit back at Iran after it criticised Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh's campaign” — The National
“provoke objections from some hardline voices” — The National
Right1 outlet
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Nusseibeh, the UAE's former ambassador to the UN, has entered the race to succeed Guterres, whose term ends at the end of the year.
- The Security Council has held informal votes without a consensus candidate.
- She would be the first woman to hold the post.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the UAE armed the RSF in Sudan
- Left
- The Guardian reports a UN panel found such allegations credible and critics say the UAE fuelled the war; the column asserts it.
- Centre
- The National does not address the allegation.
-
Whether Nusseibeh's candidacy is legitimate
- Left
- Critics and CELAC object; the column calls it an outrage.
- Centre
- UAE officials call objections hardline and praise her diplomacy.
Lana Nusseibeh person
Presents herself as a reformer seeking generational change and a UN with clearer priorities and rebuilt trust; she has denied UAE support for the RSF.
“Ms Nusseibeh has called for generational change and pledged to reform the UN with “clearer priorities”” — The National
“Nusseibeh has been one of the leading UAE diplomats denying reports that the UAE supplied weapons” — The Guardian
United Arab Emirates place
Officials defend the candidate as a diplomat and reject Iranian criticism; the UAE denies supporting any faction in Sudan.
“Dr Gargash described Ms Nusseibeh as a professional figure known for bridging differences and prioritising diplomacy” — The National
“The UAE says it supports the formation of a civilian-led government in Sudan.” — The Guardian
Iran place
Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf publicly questioned Nusseibeh's agenda; UAE officials dismissed this as hardline and unobjective.
“questioned Ms Nusseibeh's agenda in a post on X” — The National
Middle East2 outlets
The National, based in the UAE, highlights official Emirati defence of the candidate against Iran.
“Lana Nusseibeh represents diplomacy, competence and the courage to build bridges.” — The National
Gulf News, The National
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Guardian weighs the bid against UAE conduct in Sudan, with the opinion piece strongly opposed.
“faces criticism over the UAE’s human rights record and alleged funding of the RSF in Sudan” — The Guardian
The Guardian
Left2 articles
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Emirati diplomat who helped deliver aid to Gaza enters UN secretary general race
Mixed Profiles the candidate, setting Gaza aid and Palestinian backing against Sudan-related and regional objections.
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The GuardianLC · · Opinion
Critical Opinion column casting Nusseibeh as the face of UAE policy in Sudan and her possible appointment as a scandal.
Centre2 articles
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UAE officials reject Iran's criticism of UN candidate Nusseibeh
Sympathetic Reports Emirati officials' rebuttal of Iran's criticism and presents Nusseibeh as a competent bridge-builder.
- 25 Oct 13:46 First The Jerusalem PostRC UAE’s Lana Nusseibeh receives more support in bid to become next UN secretary-general
- 25 Oct 17:11 +3h 26m Gulf NewsN Anwar Gargash rejects Iranian parliament speaker's criticism of Lana Nusseibeh's UN nomination
- 25 Oct 18:38 +4h 52m The NationalN UAE officials reject Iran's criticism of UN candidate Nusseibeh
- 25 Oct 19:00 +5h 14m The GuardianLC Emirati diplomat who helped deliver aid to Gaza enters UN secretary general race
- 26 Oct 07:00 +17h 14m The GuardianLC The UAE has so much blood on its hands in Sudan. For its nominee to lead the UN would be an outrage | Nesrine Malik Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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