Statement at the Global Mechanism on ICT security
Delivered on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth at the First Substantive Plenary.
22 July 2026
Office of the Executive Director
The executive organ of the DMUN Foundation: setting strategic direction, representing the Foundation across the intergovernmental system, and making sure every commitment we make is kept.
The Executive Director
Jaewon Choi
Jaewon Choi is the Executive Director and Founder of the DMUN Foundation. He founded the organisation in 2021 with a simple conviction: that the doors of diplomacy should be open to every young person, everywhere. He has led it from a single online conference to a community of 27,284 members across 172 countries and territories.
As Executive Director, he guides the Foundation’s mission and strategic vision, oversees all key initiatives, and serves as its principal representative to the United Nations and the wider multilateral system, from the floor of the General Assembly Hall to the FfD4 Multistakeholder Hearing, the UN High-Level Political Forum, and the First Substantive Plenary of the Global Mechanism on ICT security.
Write to the Executive Director: jaewonchoi@dmun.org
Staff
Mr. Jaewon Choi
Executive Director
Head of Organisation
Secretary of the Governing Bodies
Ms. Lily YangLiu
First Deputy Executive Director
Deputy Executive Director, Advocacy and Research
Deputy Head of Organisation
Mr. Harshan M. V.
Deputy Executive Director, Programs
Vacant
Deputy Executive Director, Administrative Management
Mr. Richard Lin
Chef de Cabinet (Chief)
Mr. Konnor Fortini
Chef de Cabinet Adjoint (Officer-in-Charge)
Ms. Shanna Melamed
Assistant to the Executive Director (Officer)
Coordinator for Intergovernmental Partnerships
Mr. Benjamin Dron
Assistant to the Executive Director (Officer)
Alternate Coordinator for Intergovernmental Partnerships
Ms. Gaon “Ellie” Lee
Assistant to the Executive Director (Officer)
Posts listed as vacant are open for recruitment. The full staff listing is available on the Team page.
What the Office does
Strategic direction
Guides the Foundation’s mission, programs and priorities, and steers the philosophy of change that connects education, research and advocacy.
External representation
Represents the Foundation before the United Nations, intergovernmental bodies, Member States and partners, delivering statements and conducting bilaterals on its behalf.
Oversight & accountability
Ensures every initiative is delivered with integrity, working alongside the Board of Trustees, the Inspector-General and the Ombudsman.
Correspondence & protocol
Manages the Foundation’s official correspondence, focal points and protocol for engagements across New York, Geneva, Vienna and Seoul.
The team
Jaewon Choi
Executive Director & Founder, Head of Organisation.
jaewonchoi@dmun.org
Lily Y. YangLiu
First Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy and Research, Deputy Head of Organisation.
lilyyangliu@dmun.org
Atharv Singh
Deputy Executive Director for operations, program development and community engagement.
Shanna Melamed
Assistant to the Executive Director, primary focal point of the Office.
shannamelamed@dmun.org
Benjamin Dron
Assistant to the Executive Director, alternate focal point of the Office.
benjamindron@dmun.org
Division for Advocacy and Research
The Office draws on the Division’s staff for statements, submissions and secondments across the multilateral system.
Recent engagements
Leading the delegation to HLPF 2026
Youth delegates from around the world brought lived experience to the UN High-Level Political Forum.
July 2026
Youth empowerment at the FfD4 Multistakeholder Hearing
Multi-stakeholder partnerships and youth engagement, argued at UN Headquarters in New York.
22 June 2025Write to the Office.
The Office of the Executive Director welcomes correspondence from members, partners and institutions.