UAE envoy to UN Lana Nusseibeh awarded Shield of Palestine

Nusseibeh has announced she will step down from post at world body

UAE ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh receives the Shield of Palestine from Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour. Wam

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's ambassador to the UN, has been awarded the Shield of Palestine for her efforts to assist the people of Gaza and stop the war.

The shield was presented by Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the UN.

Ms Nusseibeh, who has announced her intention to leave her post at the UN, also serves as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation for Political Affairs, and led the UAE delegation to the UN during its two-year term on the Security Council.

“Ambassador Nusseibeh emphasised the strong historical relationship between the UAE and the State of Palestine, and the UAE’s firm and continuous support for the Palestinian people, particularly with regard to the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Most recently, Ms Nusseibeh addressed the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel. She urged the international community to protect the rights of Palestinians and push for a ceasefire and a two-state solution to the conflict.

She also highlighted Israel's rights breaches in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured along with Gaza and the West Bank in 1967.

In December last year, Ms Nusseibeh travelled to Egypt to open a desalination plant built by the UAE to provide drinking water to people in Gaza.