Global Solutions Pittsburgh
60th Annual Spring Dinner
The US and the UN in the 21st Century

Gillian Sorensen,
Senior Advisor/National Advocate at the United Nations Foundation and former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations

On Thursday, May 29, 2008, Global Solutions Pittsburgh hosted its 60th Annual Spring Dinner at the Sheraton Station Square hotel. The evening began with a recep­tion and was followed by dinner and a presentation by guest speaker Mrs. Gillian Sorensen, Senior Advisor/National Advocate at the United Nations Foundation and former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations.

 Prior to Mrs. Sorensen’s speech, Global Solutions Pittsburgh took a few minutes to recognize one of our most dedicated members, Dr. Truman P. Kohman. An active member since 1960, Dr. Kohman was a professor of chemistry at the Carnegie In­stitute of Technology and is now professor emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. Throughout the years, Dr. Kohman has actively supported our mission and has been a dedicated participant in the Partners Program. Global Solutions Pittsburgh was happy to recognize Dr. Kohman’s commitment to the organization and present him with an engraved pocket watch as a token of our great appreciation.

 Following the recognition of Dr. Kohman’s outstanding work, Mrs. Sorensen talked to us about the importance of the relation­ship between the US and United Nations in the 21st century. She began by highlighting some of the most important functions and contributions of the United Nations and then spoke about the damaged relationship between the US and the UN and the importance of rebuilding the ties that were once so strong. The position of the US as a role model and moral authority has faded away in the wake of events such as the human rights scandal of Abu Ghraib, the failure to fully comply with the Geneva Conven­tions, and the general lack of respect and support of the UN by such acts as the appointment of John Bolton, a strong opponent of the UN , as the US representative to the UN. Mrs. Sorensen stressed that the US must realize that we are only 4% of the world’s population and assume a more humble and cooperative role within the institution. She listed several ways in which we can begin to repair this damaged relationship and build new trust and credibility, including payment of the dues we owe, a new commit­ment to human rights, respect for the Security Council, financial support of the Millennium Development Goals, and voluntary contribution to UN Population Fund family planning programs.