The Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) is proud to endorse Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh for appointment as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Her nomination, the first of an Arab woman for this office, marks a historic milestone for the region and for women’s leadership in international affairs. If appointed, she would become the first woman to lead the United Nations and the first Secretary-General of Palestinian descent.
As an Arab civil society organisation with a global reach celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, AIWF’s endorsement reflects the mission that has guided our work since our founding in London in 2001: to advance Arab women’s empowerment and leadership in every sector and sphere, and to build bridges of cooperation and understanding between the Arab world and the international community. HE Nusseibeh’s distinguished career embodies that mission.
This endorsement carries particular resonance in light of AIWF’s longstanding ties with our sisters in the United Arab Emirates, whose friendship and support have been integral to our work since inception. Over the past 25 years, their contributions as Board Members, members and partners have enriched our programmes and strengthened our international advocacy. We acknowledge with deep appreciation their leadership, expertise and enduring commitment to our shared mission of advancing Arab women’s empowerment and their contribution to the global community.
HE Nusseibeh was the first woman to serve as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position she held from 2013 to 2024. She led the UAE’s successful campaign for election to the Security Council and presided over the Council twice during its 2022–2023 term. Her service as Vice-President of the General Assembly and President of the UN Women Executive Board further underlines the breadth of her institutional knowledge and leadership experience.
Her diplomacy has helped secure collective action on some of the most pressing humanitarian and security challenges of our time. During the UAE’s 2022–2023 Security Council term, she led efforts to secure the adoption of several landmark resolutions co-drafted by the UAE. Resolution 2686 acknowledged, for the first time, that hate speech, racism, gender discrimination and acts of extremism can contribute to the outbreak, escalation and recurrence of conflict. Resolution 2681 condemned the Taliban’s decision to prohibit Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, while Resolution 2720 provided for the establishment of a UN mechanism to expand and streamline the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. This record demonstrates her ability to build consensus and secure practical outcomes amid profound political divisions.
Of particular significance to AIWF is her sustained advocacy for women’s participation in peace and security. HE Nusseibeh helped launch the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Women, Peace and Security Training Initiative in 2018, which has graduated more than 600 female cadets from military, security and peace sectors in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, expanding opportunities for women to serve in peace operations. Prior to her appointment as Permanent Representative to the UN, HE Nusseibeh served in several capacities within the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, establishing the Ministry’s Policy Planning Department in 2009 and serving as its first Director for three years. During this time, she was also the UAE Deputy Sherpa at the G20 Leaders’ Summit under France’s presidency in 2011. From 2010–2011, she served as the UAE Co-Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Previously, she was Head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Campaign Task Force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Director of Research and Communications for the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs.
Her significant achievements in these roles demonstrate her capacity to build institutions, guide policy and advance international cooperation, bringing both diplomatic judgement and organisational experience to her candidacy. They make her an exemplary candidate to lead the United Nations at a time when international peace and security depend so greatly on building consensus among its Member States and translating collective commitments into practical action.
A graduate of the University of Cambridge, HE Nusseibeh also holds a master’s degree with distinction from SOAS, University of London. Her honours include the UAE Medal of Pride, Paraguay’s National Order of Merit ‘Don José Falcón’ and the Shield of Palestine. For women and young people across the region, and indeed worldwide, her career offers an outstanding example of the profound difference that knowledge, determination and public service can make to people’s lives, inspiring them to pursue leadership on the world stage.
AIWF’s support is grounded in our longstanding commitment to international cooperation, which HE Nusseibeh exemplifies. Over the years, we have collaborated with organisations across the UN system and the wider development community, including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Women, the International Labour Organization and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. These relationships have reaffirmed our conviction that progress for women depends on sustained cooperation between international institutions, governments, business and civil society.
At a time when the world urgently needs effective diplomacy, humanitarian leadership and renewed confidence in multilateral cooperation, AIWF believes that HE Lana Nusseibeh brings the experience, judgement and resolve that this unparalleled office demands. We proudly support her candidacy and celebrate the prospect of such an accomplished Arab woman serving the global community as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
