Rights advocates oppose UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s UN secretary-general bid, citing her defense of UAE policy and denial of a role in Sudan’s war

Human rights advocates criticized senior UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s candidacy for UN secretary-general on Tuesday, pointing to her defense of the UAE’s foreign policy and her denial of the country’s role in fueling the war in Sudan.

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said during a webinar hosted by online campaigning group Avaaz that Nusseibeh had been asked about the UAE’s role in arming and supporting the RSF and had denied it. “That is not what we need as UN Secretary-General,” he said, adding that it was the opposite of the moral standing he wanted from a UN chief. The webinar was titled “Call To Stop UAE Minister’s Bid for UN Top Job Amid Sudan Genocide.”

Husam Mahjoub, a Sudanese advocate and founder of independent media outlet Sudan Bukra TV, said electing a senior UAE diplomat would put leadership of UN institutions in the hands of the UAE government’s “chief defender” when Sudanese civilians most need the UN to hold powerful states accountable.