Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates' candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, has expressed her gratitude for the support of 25 Afghan civil society organizations and several prominent Afghan women activists for her candidacy. She emphasized that women's voices must be heard and their participation guaranteed at all levels.
On Monday, Ms. Nusseibeh wrote on the social media platform X, in response to a message of support from Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan's parliament, that she was "deeply moved" by the endorsement. "My sincere thanks to Fawzia Koofi for her kind words," she added.
In her message, Lana Nusseibeh wrote, "The courage of these women is another reminder of who the UN was founded to serve. Their voices and rights must be protected, and their presence and participation must be guaranteed at every decision-making table." This message signals her commitment to prioritizing women's rights if elected.
Lana Nusseibeh is the UAE's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and a former representative of her country to the UN. On October 20, the UAE officially nominated her as a candidate to succeed António Guterres. She is one of several candidates for the top international post.
During her tenure as a representative at the UN, particularly in the Security Council, Ms. Nusseibeh repeatedly criticized the Taliban government's restrictive policies against Afghan women and girls. She called for the Taliban to immediately reconsider these policies and stressed the right of women to education and work.
In June 2023, when the UAE held the rotating presidency of the Security Council, Ms. Nusseibeh dedicated a meeting to the situation in Afghanistan. At that session, she stressed that Afghan women's and girls' access to education at all levels is "non-negotiable" and that the international community must act cohesively to lift these restrictions.
She also warned that excluding women from economic, social, and humanitarian activities would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and hinder sustainable development in the country.
Source: X social media platform
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