Hassan Al-Somal
Elite Member
#NoToLana
The campaign against Lana Nusseibeh’s nomination is not over. It is far too early to treat yesterday’s vote as a defeat. Yesterday’s ballot, held on 30 October, was only an indicative straw poll. It is the first test of the UAE’s candidate before the Security Council, but the seventh round since the race for Secretary-General began. Nusseibeh finished fourth, with 7 votes in favor, 6 against, and 2 abstentions. She failed to secure the nine votes required for a formal nomination.
The process continues. It will not end until the Security Council agrees on a candidate who receives at least nine votes out of fifteen, without a veto from any of the five permanent members. Only then does the Council issue its official recommendation to the General Assembly.
That is why #NoToLana continues. This is not about one individual or one diplomatic post. It is about the independence and credibility of the United Nations. The highest office in the organization must not become a reward for political and financial influence, or a means of purchasing immunity from accountability.
We have seen what the UAE has done in Sudan. We have also seen what Lana Nusseibeh did, as a representative of the Abu Dhabi government, to deny established facts and undermine UN expert reports documenting Emirati support for the RSF militia and its crimes against Sudanese civilians. It is unacceptable to reward that record with greater influence inside the very institution that sought to expose those facts and hold those responsible to account.
The seat of UN Secretary-General is not for sale.
The campaign against Lana Nusseibeh’s nomination is not over. It is far too early to treat yesterday’s vote as a defeat. Yesterday’s ballot, held on 30 October, was only an indicative straw poll. It is the first test of the UAE’s candidate before the Security Council, but the seventh round since the race for Secretary-General began. Nusseibeh finished fourth, with 7 votes in favor, 6 against, and 2 abstentions. She failed to secure the nine votes required for a formal nomination.
The process continues. It will not end until the Security Council agrees on a candidate who receives at least nine votes out of fifteen, without a veto from any of the five permanent members. Only then does the Council issue its official recommendation to the General Assembly.
That is why #NoToLana continues. This is not about one individual or one diplomatic post. It is about the independence and credibility of the United Nations. The highest office in the organization must not become a reward for political and financial influence, or a means of purchasing immunity from accountability.
We have seen what the UAE has done in Sudan. We have also seen what Lana Nusseibeh did, as a representative of the Abu Dhabi government, to deny established facts and undermine UN expert reports documenting Emirati support for the RSF militia and its crimes against Sudanese civilians. It is unacceptable to reward that record with greater influence inside the very institution that sought to expose those facts and hold those responsible to account.
The seat of UN Secretary-General is not for sale.
