The race to succeed António Guterres as head of the United Nations is taking a new geopolitical turn. The United Arab Emirates has officially formalized the candidacy of diplomat Lana Nusseibeh for the post of UN Secretary-General, in a context of intense negotiations and institutional blockages within the Security Council. Lana Nusseibeh has a seasoned diplomatic profile: former permanent representative of her country to the United Nations between 2013 and 2024, she previously held the positions of Minister of State at the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Special Envoy to the UN and the European Union. Justifying her entry into the race, the candidate stated: "I am running for the office of Secretary-General because I believe we must act with more urgency: in the past..."
Nieuwsblad (Western press) presents the nomination of Lana Nusseibeh in a formal and institutional manner, while The Cradle (East/South) adopts a critical tone by highlighting her hostile stances toward Iran, suggesting a politically divisive candidacy for United Nations leadership.
This synthesis compares media coverage and flags blind spots, biases and conflicts of interest around this topic.
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