UAE's Nusseibeh comes in fourth in latest UNSG straw poll: What to know

WASHINGTON — Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates' candidate to become the next United Nations secretary-general, received seven votes encouraging her candidacy, six discouraging votes and two expressing no opinion in her first informal straw poll at the UN Security Council on Friday.What happened: The United Nations Security Council held its seventh straw poll on determining a candidate to lead the organization on Friday.The seventh straw poll, held as the 15-member council continues its search for a successor to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saw Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan lead with 11 encourage votes and four discourage votes. Argentina's Rafael Grossi followed with nine encourage and four discourage votes and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with eight encourage and six discourage votes, according to PassBlue, an independent news outlet covering the United Nations. Costa Rica's Grynspan, a former vice president who leads the UN Conference on Trade and Development, has emerged as one of the leading contenders.Per PassBlue, the other three candidates trailed further behind, with Uganda's Olara Otunnu receiving four encourage votes and 11 discourage votes; Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa receiving two encourage and 10 discourage votes; and Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki receiving one encourage and 14 discourage votes.Background: Nusseibeh, nominated by the UAE on Oct. 21, is the only candidate from the Middle East and North Africa in a crowded field of Latin American and Caribbean candidates. Her candidacy has gained some momentum, but she still faces significant hurdles.An informal system of regional rotation has created expectations that the next secretary-general will come from Latin America or the Caribbean, while momentum has also grown behind calls to appoint a woman to the post for the first time.More than 30 ambassadors from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held a press conference on Oct. 27 to reiterate their position that the next secretary-general should come from their region.Nusseibeh has also faced criticism from human rights organizations and Sudanese advocates over her record representing the UAE's foreign policy, particularly its alleged support for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces militia, accused of widespread atrocities during the country’s ongoing war. A report by a UN panel of experts found the accusations “credible.” The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military support to the paramilitary group.Speaking at a UN dialogue session on Oct. 27, Nusseibeh was asked about alleged UAE support for the RSF but refrained from answering directly, saying “I have taken a leave of absence from my post as a minister of the UAE and I refer any questions about the UAE to the UAE representation.” She added that stopping the conflict in Sudan will be the “litmus test” of the next UN secretary-general and said it would be “a number one priority” for her if she assumed the post.Know more: The results of Friday's poll could also influence whether other countries enter the contest. Turkish newspaper Turkiye Today reported on Wednesday that the country is considering nominating former Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu, who currently serves as secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).Guterres' second five-year term ends on Dec. 31. The Security Council must recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, which formally appoints the secretary-general. A candidate needs at least nine votes in the 15-member council and must avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members: the US, China, the UK, France and Russia.