JCI Dublin - Junior Chamber International Dublin

On October 23, 2006, Gillian Martin Sorensen, Senior Adviser of the United Nations (UN) Foundation, visited the JCI World Headquarters in Chesterfield, MO, USA. JCI Secretary General Edson Kodama and his team welcomed her not only as a high-ranking UN official, but also as a great friend of JCI.

As Senior Adviser at the UN Foundation, Gillian Sorensen is an advocate on matters related to the United Nations. From l997 to 2003, she served as Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations. She was responsible for outreach to civil society including non-governmental organizations around the world.

After taking a tour of the headquarters, led by Senate Foundation Manager Earl Sawyer, Gillian Sorensen met with the JCI World Headquarters team for a presentation on JCI. Secretary General Kodama thanked Sorensen for her crucial support in strengthening the United Nations partnership with JCI and presented her with a plaque.

Gillian Sorensen’s Contribution

JCI was seeking tangible ways to collaborate with the UN and it was Sorensen who guided JCI in the right direction. “We had been looking for concrete actions we could carry out in collaboration with the UN,” says Kodama. “Guided by Gillian Sorensen, we adopted the JCI-UN resolution to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Her visit demonstrates how important JCI has become in the UN arena.”

“For more than 10 years, Gillian Sorensen has been ready to give us advice and assistance,” added Kodama. “She has motivated and inspired us in our efforts to collaborate with the UN so as to provide effective and meaningful leadership training opportunities to our members."