A career spent turning disagreement into diplomacy

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Lana Zaki Nusseibeh is an Emirati diplomat, Minister of State in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the European Union and the United Nations. She is a candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations. From 2013 to 2024, she served as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN, becoming the first woman to hold the post.

Before her UN posting, Nusseibeh worked with UNESCO in Paris, supported the UAE’s successful campaign to host the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, established the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Policy Planning Department, and served as UAE co-special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Over eleven years in New York, she worked across UN reform and governance, peace and security, humanitarian diplomacy, sustainable development and women, peace and security. She served as a Vice-President of the General Assembly, President of the Executive Board of UN Women, co-chaired General Assembly revitalisation and Security Council reform processes, and twice served as President of the Security Council during the UAE’s 2022–2023 elected term.

Her experience has shaped a clear view of the office she is seeking: the Secretary-General must be an active leader — acting early, bringing people together however great their differences, and staying with the work until diplomacy produces results.

Major diplomatic roles

Appointed Minister of State in September 2025, with a portfolio spanning political and multilateral diplomacy and engagement with European partners.

Led high-level political and multilateral engagement following the conclusion of her posting at the United Nations.

Served for more than a decade in New York, including during the UAE’s 2022-2023 term on the Security Council. She twice served as President of the Council and held senior roles across the wider UN system.

Worked on regional diplomacy and international engagement relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Established the Ministry’s Policy Planning Department and served as its first director. She also served as the UAE’s Deputy Sherpa for the 2011 G20 Summit.

My career highlights

Career highlights

At the United Nations, Lana worked to turn difficult negotiations into practical outcomes. She helped secure unanimous Security Council action on the rights of Afghan women and girls, led negotiations on humanitarian access to Gaza, advanced the Council’s first resolution on tolerance and international peace and security, and helped shape reform of both the General Assembly and Security Council

Milestones

2009

Policy planning and IRENA

Established the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Policy Planning Department after supporting the successful campaign to host IRENA in Abu Dhabi.

2016–2020

UN reform

Co-chaired General Assembly revitalisation in 2016–2017 and the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform from 2017 to 2020.

2017

UN leadership

Served as President of the Executive Board of UN Women and as a Vice-President of the 72nd session of the General Assembly.

2022-2023

Security Council

Led the UAE delegation during its elected Council term, twice serving as Council President and working on Afghanistan, tolerance and conflict prevention, and humanitarian access to Gaza.