On July 8, the Government of Colombia, headed by President Ivan Duque and the Presidential Advisor for Youth, Juan Sebastian Arango, inaugurated the first National Youth Council. This council was made up of 49 delegates who were chosen in autonomous deliberation by Departmental Councils and representatives of special communities of the Republic of Colombia.

This Council, being an autonomous mechanism of participation, proposals, and agreements, aims to make social control of public management, as well as being the interlocutor of the youth agenda before the national public instance. The Sovereign Order of Malta was represented by our Attaché for Political and Youth Affairs, Mr. Daniel del Valle Blanco.

Among those attending the event were Maria Juliana Ruiz (First Lady of the Colombia). Hector Schamis (Advisor to the Secretary General of the OAS), Max Trejo (Secretary General of the OIJ), Daniel Palacios (Minister of the Interior of Colombia), Dario Barboza (National Secretary of Youth of Peru), Edmavi Mavied (Director of the Youth of Panama), Luis Felipe Custodio (National Secretary of Youth of Brazil), and Mikaellyson Martins da Silva (General Coordinator of the Executive Secretariat of CONJUVE of Brazil).

The event continued with the presentation of “Colombia Vision 2050”, a long-term projection document that defines Colombian public policy guidelines and strategies.
Afterwards, the First Lady of Colombia offered an official lunch at the “Palacio de Nariño”, where some informal consultations took place between the young leaders of the respective countries and the President’s wife.