Dr. Michal Mlynár is a seasoned diplomat and educator with almost 30 years of experience in senior global assignments. Until April 2023, he was Slovakia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Prior to that, Mr. Mlynár served as Director General for International Organizations, Development Cooperation, and Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. He was also Slovakia’s Ambassador in Nairobi and served as the Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to UN-Habitat and the President of its Governing Council. He holds PhD and MA degrees from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, and also studied in the UK and the USA. Mr. Mlynár served as Acting Executive Director of UN-Habitat from January to August 2024.