MICHAL KAPLAN
I am a diplomat and leader in sustainable development.
Currently, I serve as Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York. I am in charge of trade promotion, scientific cooperation and public diplomacy between Czechia and Northeastern United States.
I contributed to the coordination and strategic communication of the Czech EU Presidency 2022 in the area of external relations during my tenure as Deputy Director of the Czech Presidency Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Presidency was particularly successful in keeping EU’s unity and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s agression.
As Deputy Permanent Representative at the Czech Mission to United Nations in Geneva, I was in charge of global health, human rights, humanitarian affairs and international trade. I contributed to the World Health Organisation response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, I participated in the field mission to refugee camps in Bangladesh organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Between 2013-2017, I was appointed as Managing Director of the Czech Agency for International Development (CzechAid). I provided strategic leadership and management over its USD 20 million programme. The agency implemented development cooperation with Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia, Palestine, Ukraine, Serbia and Zambia. Under my leadership, the Agency was succesfully audited by the PricewaterhouseCoopers and accredited by the European Commission.
I took an active part in the Czech Presidency in the European Union in 2009. During my posting to Brussels, I served as Deputy Ambassador to the EU Political and Security Committee. Earlier in my diplomatic career, I represented Czechia at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris and participated as examiner in the OECD peer review of foreign aid of Portugal.
I am an emphatic team leader who can drive change and turn words into deeds. I know how to achivee results, manage risks and take responsibility for resources. I have built multi-stakeholder partnerships across governments, civil society and the private sector. In 2017, I helped to launch Czech SDGs Awards, an advocacy campaign for Sustainable Development Goals.
Throughout my career, I have proved strategic thinking and excellent negotiation and networking skills. I have frequently published on diplomacy and sustainable development. I write a popular blog “Diplomacy is not a zero-sum game”. I play tennis, soccer and practice cross-country skiing. I like travelling and discovering other countries and cultures.