Press Release: Slovakia’s Mission to UN in NY to Welcome Mr. Daniel del Valle as New Policy Advisor with Focus on UN Youth & Africa Policies

The Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations in New York is pleased to announce that it will be joined, for the period of 28 June – 3 September 2021, by Mr. Daniel del VALLE BLANCO from Madrid, Spain in a capacity of Policy Advisor / Junior Diplomat.

Through its Mission to the UN in New York, Slovakia has maintained a strong footprint at the Organization in all three UN pillars (peace & security, development, human rights). Among key priorities are conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustaining peace, Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R), justice and rule of law, human rights, rights of the child, freedom of religion and belief, gender equality, wide youth participation, climate action, sustainable cities, water, etc.

As a youth activist and leader, an influencer, a junior diplomat and lawyer, and a musician, Mr. Daniel del Valle is well placed to provide the Mission with invaluable advice and assistance on numerous key policy issues, in particular on youth empowerment, education, the rights, and needs of the most vulnerable including refugees & migrants promoting equal opportunities for all, environment protection, cultural diplomacy for peace, etc.

The Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN, Ambassador Dr. Michal Mlynár, who is himself a passionate advocate of active youth involvement, peacebuilding, SSG/R, sustainable cities, and assisting the most vulnerable, in particular in Africa, and who proudly served as Slovakia’s Ambassador to Kenya and 11 other countries of the region in 2012-2015 and as President of the UN-Habitat Governing Council in 2016-2017 and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and as co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Revitalization of the Work of the UN General Assembly, says: 

“As a champion of active youth participation, equal rights and opportunities for all, including the most vulnerable, humanitarian relief, and cultural diplomacy for peace, Mr. Daniel del Valle brings to the Mission a truly unique and much needed set of personal and professional skills, dedication and enthusiasm.

He has attracted our attention and earned our support for his involvement in numerous campaigns, initiatives and projects in his home country, as well as in/for Latin America (e.g. Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador) and sub-Saharan Africa (mainly in East Africa and the Horn of Africa). He is an exemplary young difference maker and an Ambassador of Change!

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated some of the most pressing challenges that the most vulnerable people face and exposed social injustices. This includes also young people of Africa, their living environments and living conditions. Therefore, we need to build back better, especially in our cities!

I am very excited to welcome Daniel to the Mission for the next more than two months and for long-term cooperation! I look forward to working closely with him. We proudly share basic values and principles in our work and in our focus on the people of this planet that we are here to serve – humbly and selflessly.”

And Mr. Daniel del Valle adds:

“I am very grateful to the Mission of Slovakia and to Ambassador Mlynár for this excellent opportunity. I look forward to joining their team in New York as a Policy Advisor / Junior Diplomat in order to join forces in areas that I am so passionate about. I will spear no effort to support the Mission and the Ambassador in their highly relevant work, especially concerning opportunities for young people and the rights of the most vulnerable in Africa and Latin America, as well as cultural diplomacy for peace.

I will work hard to contribute to achieving the noble goals of the United Nations through focusing on real needs of real people, in particular young people. We are the future leaders of this planet. We need to be involved already now, to be heard and to make a difference! I will continue sharing my views and my new experiences with other young people also through my social media platforms.

I will cooperate closely also with other entities, in particular with the UN Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), the Office of UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UN AoC), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) to promote transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, enhance existing youth policies, foster long-term effective partnerships and thus contribute to the implementation of the UN Youth 2030 Strategy launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in September 2018.”

New York, 21 June 2021

Press Contacts for Mr. Daniel del Valle Blanco:

E-mail: dadelval@ucm.es; stazista.SMNewYork1@mzv.sk

Twitter: @danidelvalleok (https://twitter.com/danidelvalleok)

Photo: https://twitter.com/danidelvalleok/photo

Press Contacts for the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the UN:

Twitter: @SlovakiaUNNY (https://twitter.com/slovakiaunny)

@MichalMlynar (https://twitter.com/michalmlynar)

Amb. Dr. Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN (michal.mlynar@mzv.sk)

Mr. Štefan Stanko, Adviser (stefan.stanko@mzv.sk)