Colombo, Sri Lanka - Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Envoy on Youth, arrived in Sri Lanka on July 4 for a three-day official visit. The objective of this visit was to participate in a session of Sri Lanka's Youth Parliament and to report to the United Nations about youth activities in Sri Lanka.
The Chairman and Director General of the National Youth Services Council Attorney at Law Lalith Piyum Perera met Mr. Al-Hendavi on arrival at the airport. Mr. Alhendawi delivered a lecture at the Kadirgamar International Educational Institution on Youth Activities in 2015. He is also met ministers, Dalas Alahapperuma (Youth Affairs and Skills Development), Professor G.L. Peiris (External Affairs), and Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa. Mr. Alhendawi also addressed the Sri Lanka Youth Parliament at the National Youth Center in Maharagama.
The Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka is a vehicle for training youth in leadership and communication skills, cultivating responsibility, democratic processes, respect, and accountability. It provides a national platform for youth to come together to participate in a leadership and innovation process by networking with professionals and each other. The second Youth Parliament comprises 325 parliamentarians and 77 senators. From them are chosen a Prime Minister and a 13-member Cabinet, a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Opposition Leader, Leader of the House, Chief Government Whip, and a Policy Organizer.
The visit offered an opportunity for Dr. Chula Senaratne, Secretary General of UPF-Sri Lanka, national director of Religious Youth Service, and Adviser on International Affairs to the National Youth Services Council, to meet with the UN envoy.
Prior to his January 2013 appointment as the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, the 29-year-old Jordanian worked as Team Leader at a World Bank-funded program to the League of Arab States on Institutional Development to Strengthen Arab Policy and Participation.