UN Leadership Race Puts Regional Claims to Test

Lana Nusseibeh entered the race to lead the United Nations on Wednesday, October 21, adding a Middle Eastern candidate as Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan led the latest informal vote. The Security Council hasn't agreed on a successor to António Guterres, whose term ends December 31.

Nusseibeh, a 48-year-old UAE minister of state and former ambassador to the United Nations, said several countries had encouraged her to run during recent UN General Assembly meetings. She has taken leave from her government position to pursue the job. No Security Council member has reportedly backed her, and no voting results for her candidacy have emerged.

A contest shaped by regional claims

Nusseibeh's entry adds a regional dimension to the selection. Latin American countries have argued that their region should provide the next secretary-general, while pressure has grown for a woman to lead the organization for the first time. Nusseibeh would answer the call for a female secretary-general but represent the Middle East rather than Latin America.

Grynspan, a former Costa Rican vice president, received nine votes in favor, five against and one expressing no opinion in the October 16 informal vote. Two permanent Security Council members cast opposing votes, though their countries weren't officially identified. Two of the five countries with power to block an appointment had signaled opposition to her candidacy.

Argentina's Rafael Grossi and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett each received eight supporting votes. No candidate secured the agreement needed to move forward. The five permanent members—the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom—can each block a candidate. A successful candidate needs at least nine votes from the 15-member council and no opposition from any of those five countries.

The council controls the next step

The October 16 vote was informal, so the opposing ballots weren't actual vetoes. Still, they showed resistance to Grynspan from two powerful governments. The council was considering another informal vote on Friday or a postponement while negotiations continued; it hadn't confirmed a date for the next round.

Costa Rica's President Laura Fernández stepped up her involvement in Grynspan's campaign. Fernández met her at Casa Presidencial on Monday, reaffirmed the government's support and announced plans to contact other Latin American leaders to seek additional backing. Grynspan said her campaign remained active and stressed that the council hadn't held a formal vote and countries could still change their positions.

Nusseibeh served as her country's ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 until 2024 and has extensive experience working with the Security Council. In December 2023, she helped negotiate a resolution intended to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza. She has called for the United Nations to play a more active role in resolving international conflicts rather than simply responding to them.

Grynspan, a Costa Rican economist who previously headed the UN Conference on Trade and Development, has proposed making the organization more efficient, reducing overlapping responsibilities and strengthening its ability to respond to international crises. She served as Costa Rica's vice president from 1994 to 1998. If selected, she would become the first Costa Rican and the first woman to lead the United Nations.

The Security Council must agree on a candidate first. Then the UN General Assembly must formally appoint the new secretary-general. Fewer than three months remain before Guterres leaves office, and the council hasn't agreed on who should lead the organization beginning January 1, 2027. Grynspan retained the most support recorded in the latest informal vote. Nusseibeh's candidacy gives governments another option.