1. John Hendra recently established his own consulting practice after retiring from a dynamic 32 year United Nations career as a development leader in both Headquarters and the field.
12 Facts About John Hendra
1. 2.
John Hendra substantively supported the intergovernmental negotiations in the UN General Assembly on the repositioning of the UNDS which resulted in the landmark GA Resolution which has ushered in perhaps the most comprehensive reform of the UN Development System in decades.
3.
John Hendra was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on 11 March 2011.
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John Hendra has been closely involved in the process of formulating the 2030 Agenda, including as a member of the Informal Senior Coordination Group and as co-chair of the UN Development Group's MDG Task Force.
5.
John Hendra recently served as Co-Chair of the UN Leadership Group.
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John Hendra has had a dynamic career in the UN Development System, playing a leading role in major UN change initiatives including pioneering the "Delivering as One" Initiative for UN system-wide coherence and country-level reform in Vietnam; helping establish UN Women, the UN's newest entity; and in the design and strategic direction of the UN's support for, and response to, both the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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John Hendra helped lead UN Women's global policy work and engaged in extensive public advocacy on women's rights, putting gender equality at the heart of the new sustainable development agenda, the impact of austerity policies on women and the imperative of addressing care work, among other areas.
8.
John Hendra has extensive experience and demonstrated achievement in UN reform, having served as UN resident coordinator in two of the most complex development environments: in Tanzania, where he helped develop a more coherent international response to national priorities and the new aid environment; and in Vietnam, where he led perhaps the most ambitious and comprehensive UN reform effort ever at country level, the "Delivering as One" Initiative.
9.
John Hendra was born in Calgary, Canada, in 1960 and is married to Robin Benitz.
10.
John Hendra has an MA in development studies from the University of Toronto and an Honours BA from Queen's University.
11.
John Hendra was awarded the Three Star Order of Latvia in 1997 and Vietnam's Friendship Medal in 2011.
12.
John Hendra was awarded six medals in May 2011 for his contributions over the preceding five-year period to Vietnam's progress in gender equality and women's empowerment, social protection and poverty reduction, development planning and public investment, access to justice and legal reform, agriculture, rural development and disaster prevention and addressing climate change.