Felipe Paullier, GCL 2017, Appointed First-ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at the UN
On October 27, 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced that Uruguayan Doctor Felipe Paullier (GCL 2017) was appointed the first-ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, becoming the youngest senior appointment in the U.N. history. Previously, Felipe served as the Director General of the National Youth Institute of Uruguay from 2020.
The General Assembly established the United Nations Youth Office to promote and advocate the progress of youth-related matters within the United Nations. Its goal is to encourage the meaningful, inclusive, and effective involvement of youth and organizations led by or focused on youth in the United Nations' activities.
After participating in the 2017 Global Competitiveness Leadership Program (GCL), Felipe spearheaded the PLIG project (the Global Impact Leaders Program), an initiative that aimed to replicate the GCL experience at a national level in Uruguay. PLIG, which was successfully implemented on two occasions (2017 and 2018), empowered young leaders in the country, promoted academic excellence, and fostered collaboration between stakeholders across various sectors in Uruguay. PLIG participants included young leaders with diverse political ideologies and professional backgrounds spanning the main political parties in Uruguay, major union groups, non-profit organizations (TECHO, Socialab, DESEM-Junior Achievement Uruguay), and other private organizations. Throughout the program, participants took classes ranging from leadership and negotiation to social sciences, and they discussed the main challenges that Uruguay would face in the next five years. PLIG was recognized with the GCL Seal, a certificate of excellence given by Georgetown University's Latin America Leadership Program to projects and initiatives led by GCL alumni leaders who have excelled in creating social impact and a multiplier effect in the region. PLIG was also supported by Georgetown Alumni Uruguay, a non-profit organization that brings together Georgetown alumni in Uruguay, and the IEEM, the business school of Universidad de Montevideo.
Felipe Paullier is a Medical Doctor specializing in Pediatrics. He graduated from the School of Medicine of the Universidad de la República Oriental de Uruguay and is currently completing a Master in Business Administration at the Universidad Católica de Uruguay. Before his endeavor as the Director General of the National Youth Institute of Uruguay, he served in various political management positions, including as Deputy Mayor in the Municipality of the CH jurisdiction of Montevideo (2015-2020) and Alternate Counsellor in the Montevideo Departmental Legislative Court (2010-2015). He served as a Clinical Doctor and Pediatric Resident Physician at Pereira Rossell Pediatric Hospital (2017-2020), as a Medical Intern in the Administración Nacional de Servicios de Salud del Estado (2015-2016), and as a Research Assistant in the Clinical Research Organization, BdBeq CRO (2012-2014).
The Latin America Leadership Program (LALP) congratulates Felipe on this accomplishment and wishes him the best of luck as he starts this important journey as Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at the UN.
Sources
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/profiles/felipe-paullier