1. Ahmad Alhendawi is a Jordanian public administrator and a former United Nations official who served as the Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from March 2017 until October 2024, making him the youngest person to hold this position in the 117-year history of the organization.
Ahmad Alhendawi has held positions in various national and international organizations and has initiated his own initiatives.
Ahmad Alhendawi holds a master's degree in Advanced European and International Relations from the Institut Europeen in Nice, France.
Ahmad Alhendawi earned a Diploma in European and International Organisations from the Centre International de Formation Europeenne and a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from Al-Balqa` Applied University.
Ahmad Alhendawi's career began with roles in humanitarian and development organizations.
Ahmad Alhendawi worked at the national level on local NGOs focusing on governance and democratic participation.
Ahmad Alhendawi later joined UNFPA-Iraq and the Emergency Programme of Save the Children, responding to the humanitarian emergency in Iraq.
Ahmad Alhendawi co-founded and headed the Youth for Democracy Network at the Jordanian Commission for Democratic Culture.
In 2013, Ahmad Alhendawi became the first-ever United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth.
Ahmad Alhendawi championed youth rights advocacy, particularly focusing on marginalized groups, young women, and girls, ensuring their voices were heard and their needs addressed on a global scale.
Ahmad Alhendawi fostered strong connections between the UN and civil society organizations, driving forward the youth agenda.
Ahmad Alhendawi is a firm believer in the Sustainable Development Goals and believes with the right investments in young people, they can contribute significantly towards attaining the goals.
Ahmad Alhendawi began his involvement in Scouting at the age of 13 when he joined the local branch of the Jordanian Association for Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.
Ahmad Alhendawi has maintained an interest and involvement in youth support, the Scouting movement, and non-formal education throughout his career.
Ahmad Alhendawi succeeded Scott Teare in March 2017 as the Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Ahmad Alhendawi has been instrumental in forming new strategic partnerships and securing resources to support the organization's mission.
Ahmad Alhendawi led the development of a comprehensive safeguarding mechanism to ensure global compliance with child protection standards.
Ahmad Alhendawi championed the alignment of the Scout Movement with the Sustainable Development Goals through the "Scouts for SDGs" initiative, facilitating the delivery and tracking of 4 billion hours of community service towards SDG objectives by 2030.
Ahmad Alhendawi supported the management of an endowment through the World Scout Foundation.
Ahmad Alhendawi serves as trustee on several boards, including the International Board of the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, and the Crown Prince Foundation in Jordan, among other volunteer and board roles.
Ahmad Alhendawi had several papers and publications on youth and civil society, including co-authoring:.
Ahmad Alhendawi has lived and worked in various countries, including Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, France, Germany, the United States, and Malaysia, gaining extensive international experience and a diverse cultural perspective.