Andrea Pappalardo, a student in the Master’s Degree Programme in Diplomacy and International Cooperation at the University of Trieste, has been appointed Italy’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations for the 2026/2027 mandate.

The appointment was announced by SIOI – the Italian Society for International Organization, which has implemented the United Nations Youth Delegate Programme – UNYD in Italy since 2017, in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The 2026/27 edition of the Programme is held under the patronage of the Italian Youth Agency and with the support of Reale Foundation.

Born in 2003, Pappalardo is originally from south-eastern Sicily and lives in Gorizia, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences and where he is continuing his Master’s studies in the fields of diplomacy, cooperation and international relations.

His appointment follows a national selection process that assessed over 300 applications. Together with Sofia Gioria, a student at Roma Tre University, Pappalardo will represent the views, ideas and priorities of younger Italian generations at the 81st United Nations General Assembly and in the main national and international institutional contexts.

“I take on this role with a great sense of responsibility and gratitude,” said Andrea Pappalardo. “My aim will be to help give voice to young Italians, promoting the values of dialogue, cooperation and participation. I strongly believe in a culture of peace, capable of countering hatred and intolerance, and in the role that younger generations can play in shaping the present and the future.”

Pappalardo’s path combines academic education, civic engagement and student participation. He has been a volunteer with the Italian Red Cross for over six years, an experience that has strengthened his commitment to service, solidarity and the building of relationships based on trust. For the past three years, he has also been part of MSOI Gorizia, the local section of the Student Movement for International Organization, where he served as Deputy Secretary and was later elected Secretary for two consecutive terms.

The mandate of the Youth Delegates to the United Nations will begin in September with the handover from the 2025/2026 Delegates and will include, in addition to the mission to New York, the organisation of events and meetings at universities, schools, institutions, bodies and associations.

Rector Donata Vianelli described the appointment as “a source of great satisfaction and pride for me and for the entire academic community of the University of Trieste. This achievement not only rewards the talent and dedication of students such as Mr Pappalardo, but also confirms the excellence of the educational path offered by our University in the field of international relations.”