Djibril
Diallo

With over 35 years of experience in international relations, Dr. Djibril Diallo serves the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN) as President and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Dr. Diallo leads ARDN’s global “Pathway to Solutions” initiative which aims to popularize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and spread the goodwill of the United Nations, in close consultation and collaboration with partners including the office of the Deputy-Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations Senior Africans Group, United Nations system entities, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. From 2016 to 2018, Dr. Diallo served the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as Regional Director for West and Central Africa and Senior Advisor to the Executive Director. In this capacity, Dr. Diallo provided leadership and coordinated the response of the United Nations System towards ending the AIDS Epidemic as a public health threat by 2030, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Diallo supervised the work of UNAIDS country offices, coordinated with UN system offices and those of other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and liaised with Heads of State and Government, throughout the West and Central Africa region, to advance the sustainable development goals of the United Nations and to achieve country and region specific HIV response benchmarks.

From 2008 to 2018, Dr. Diallo served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of UNAIDS, helping to advance the corporate policy on shared responsibility and global solidarity, and UNAIDS’ vision for zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. He worked closely with the Executive Office to advance universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support, political mobilization support of prominent personalities, political leaders, civic organizations, the media and other partners and sport for global advocacy of HIV/AIDS. In this capacity, he spearheaded the UNAIDS “Protect the Goal” initiative to promote AIDS awareness and prevention around major sports events, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Dr. Diallo was the Director for the United Nations New York Office of Sport for Development and Peace from 2004 to 2008, during which he led numerous initiatives that demonstrated the convening power of Sport to mobilize the United Nations, its Member States, the Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations and the public at large for Sustainable Development and Peace-Building.

Between 2004 and 2005, Dr. Diallo served as Spokesperson for the President of the United Nations General Assembly. In this role, he conceived strategic communications
plans to project overall media coverage throughout 2005, the Year Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Organization. From 1995 to 2005, he was Director of the
Communications for the United Nations Development Programme. In this capacity, he was responsible for sharpening UNDP’s corporate identity through media and advocacy outreach in 136 countries around the world.
In 1986, Dr. Diallo joined the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and served the organization, and served both as Special Advisor to the Executive Director and as Deputy
Director of Public Affairs. At UNICEF, he oversaw programmes for the development and implementation of public awareness campaign worldwide. He has also served as Special Adviser to the Secretaries-General of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and of the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993.
Dr. Diallo began his career at the United Nations with the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in 1980 in Geneva. Throughout his career as an international civil servant, Dr. Diallo has been a strong proponent of preparing a new generation of leaders to take on the mantle of safeguarding, uniting and strengthening humanity’s common home. He was instrumental in organizing a series of Panafrican Youth leadership Summits (Dakar, Senegal, 2004; Ifrane, Morocco,
2005; Bamako, Mali, 2008; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 2012; Libreville, Gabon, 2016), which brought together youth leaders from Africa and other countries, and which served
as a platform for youth to identify and discuss critical issues related to sustainable human development and the post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations, and to formulate strategies to address those issues. Dr. Diallo was also the initiator of the first United Nations Global Youth Leadership Summit in New York in October 2006, which brought together youth leaders between the ages of 18-30 from nearly 192 countries.

Dr. Djibril Diallo’s commitment to Sustainable Human Development began in his native Senegal where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Languages and Education. He holds a Certificate of Post-Graduate Education, as well as a Certificate of Race Relations
and Multi-Cultural Studies, from Nottingham University in England. He earned a Doctorate (PhD) in Linguistics and Communication from the University of London. His work for
peace and sustainable development has been recognized by numerous national and international organizations. Dr. Diallo is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. He has some knowledge of Arabic and speaks several African languages.