Minister Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates' nominee for United Nations Secretary-General, has a unique opportunity to become one of the most successful leaders in the organization's history. She blends personal competence and intellectual capacity with a charismatic presence, in addition to the unlimited support she is expected to receive from the UAE.
This backing could encompass substantial independent funding for the Secretary-General's office, enabling the recruitment of top-tier global talent and the commissioning of vital research. To counter potential allegations of serving as a front for Western interests, the incoming Secretary-General should avoid a reliance on Western personnel and analysis, opting instead to engage experts, thinkers, think tanks, and consultancies from developing nations.
Minister Nusseibeh's envisioned success is attainable if she focuses on securing swift, accessible victories. In my assessment, these objectives can be consolidated into eight core priorities, serving as a strategic agenda for her inaugural year in 2027, outlined as follows:
First: Ending the Yemeni crisis. This crisis has now reached a crossroads: the warring parties will either head toward a violent, long-term battle of attrition, or they will acknowledge the futility of this approach, resort to the path of justice and reason, and accept Saudi Arabia's leadership of this course. Over decades, the Kingdom has proven that its sole objective in Yemen is to establish an independent, unified nation that maintains domestic security, secures its borders, and achieves prosperity for Yemen while providing its citizens with opportunities for a dignified life and honorable employment in their country.
This solution must encompass a defined executive program to facilitate Yemen's integration into the Gulf Cooperation Council within a reasonable timeframe. Additionally, it should feature a "Marshall Plan" for Yemen's reconstruction, financed by the GCC states, the United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN nations, the United Kingdom, and other international partners.
The solution must also stem the flow of weapons to armed groups lacking national legitimacy by enforcing a naval, aerial, and land blockade on Yemen. These measures are not unprecedented, as they align with the provisions outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2216 regarding Yemen.
Finally, the solution must include the implementation of a political program aimed at ensuring the participation of all Yemeni factions in governance, in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and the outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue.
Second: Resolving the Sudanese crisis. Using an approach similar to the resolution of the Yemeni crisis, an appropriate mechanism can be established to assign the leadership of the peace process to the Arab League. Efforts should be directed toward forming a civilian national unity government, alongside the stepping down of the leaders of the two warring factions from power, paving the way for free elections under international supervision, and allocating appropriate financial support for reconstruction and the revitalization of the national economy.
Third: Ending the war between the US and Iran. This conflict had approached the threshold of a peaceful resolution, culminating in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two nations before the crisis reverted to the brink of escalation. The parameters of the solution remain recognized and mutually agreed upon, centered on preventing Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons, preserving freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, and halting support for unlawful armed groups in the region.
The UN has abandoned its mediation role in the Iranian crisis, among other global conflicts, leaving the international body devoid of an effective presence. The time has come for the new leadership in New York to assert a vital, active role, with the incoming Secretary-General personally engaging in all global crises.
Fourth: Ending the Cypriot crisis. This is also a crisis that appears to have reached the brink of a resolution, and the new Secretary-General could help facilitate an appropriate solution.
Fifth: The Lebanon-Israel crisis. Here, too, the new Secretary-General could leverage the UAE-Israel rapprochement and American influence to reach an agreement leading to an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the restoration of the Lebanese government's control over its entire territory, including the Shebaa Farms. The same applies to the Syrian territories where Israel expanded its occupation following the collapse of the Assad regime.
Resolving these crises would grant the incoming Secretary-General a historic launchpad, potentially positioning her to deservedly win the Nobel Peace Prize next year. Furthermore, it would create an opportunity to craft an ambitious agenda to confront the deep-seated crises in Palestine, Ukraine, the Congo, and Myanmar in 2028.
Attention must also turn to the issue of institutional reform in the UN beyond the mere repetition of superficial slogans. Among the measures that can be implemented toward this objective:
First: Reducing peacekeeping operations expenditures. This would be achieved by conducting a comprehensive review of peacekeeping missions, leading to a 50 percent reduction in both personnel numbers and the scope of operations. These would be replaced by a rapid deployment force consisting of 50,000 troops under the direct command of the UN leader. The Secretary-General would hold the authority to deploy these forces, or a portion thereof, for a duration of six months prior to obtaining an authorizing resolution from the Security Council.
Second: Abolishing the Economic and Social Council and transferring its functions to the Second and Third Committees of the General Assembly.
Third: Abolishing the Trusteeship Council and transferring its functions to the Fourth and Sixth Committees.
These are brief proposals that I hope will assist my friend, Minister Lana Nusseibeh, as she navigates the electoral phase, which I believe has reached a critical juncture and could conclude within the coming days.
