The UAE President noted in the nomination letter Nusseibeh's extensive experience regarding the United Nations and her wisdom in dealing with current international challenges, in addition to her track record of constructive work, according to the same source.
He highlighted her ministerial duties, as Nusseibeh served as the UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2013 to 2024, and during the same period, she served as Vice-President of the General Assembly and President of the Executive Board of UN Women, according to "WAM".
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed added that Nusseibeh served as co-chair to revitalize the work of the UN General Assembly and reform the Security Council, and she assumed the presidency of the Security Council twice during the UAE's membership in the Council for the years 2022–2023.
Nusseibeh's efforts included "various fields, especially peace, security, humanitarian action, sustainable development, security risks associated with climate change, in addition to women's affairs and the reform of the multilateral system," according to the same source.
The second term of UN Secretary-General António Guterres ends on December 31, 2026, after he assumed office in 2017, and his successor is scheduled to begin a five-year term starting January 1, 2027.
According to the UN Charter, the General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the UN Security Council. Passing a candidate requires the support of at least 9 out of 15 members in the Council, without any of its five permanent members (the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France) using their veto power against them.
On October 17, 2026, the Security Council held a sixth straw poll, the first using the colored voting system that clarifies the positions of permanent members. Costa Rica's Rebecca Grynspan topped the informal results with 9 votes in favor, 5 against, and 1 abstention, followed by Argentina's Rafael Grossi and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with 8 votes in favor each. However, the three candidates received two opposing votes from permanent members, leaving their chances hanging on the positions of the five powers.
The list of seven candidates also includes Senegal's Macky Sall, Uganda's Olara Otunnu, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa, and Ecuador's Yvonne Baki.
The straw poll remains informal, as countries' positions can change in subsequent rounds, while the name of the new Secretary-General is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
