Farvel Sri Lanka!

• UNDP Resident Representative Jorn Sorensen leaves Sri Lanka after five year stint

“I am going to miss Sri Lanka; the big smiles and the absolutely wonderful nature of Sri Lankans is unlike anywhere else in the world,” Jorn Sorensen, Resident Representative of UNDP Sri Lanka, fondly says with a smile as he reminisces of his time in the island. It was in August 2014 that he first arrived on our sunny shores together with his family. 

Jorn Sorensen

“It was a big shift for us. The family had to be introduced to a new school and working environment, so it was both a challenging and exciting time for all of us.” Fast forward five years and… “We are leaving Sri Lanka with fond memories. This is a beautiful country with exceptionally helpful people and we have had a fantastic time over the years. Sri Lanka will always have a special place in our hearts especially since my daughter graduated from 12th grade high school here, which was a big milestone for our family.”

A Danish national, for Sorensen, serving in the UNDP Sri Lanka Country Office was his 9th posting as a part of the UN system. As of November 2019, he will complete 25 years of service within the organisation. “I started off at the very bottom of the ladder and have had a very steep learning curve since then.”Sorensen began his career at the UNDP Mongolia Country Office and has since served in China, India, Iraq, Nepal and North Korea, to name a few. 

During his tenure in Sri Lanka, UNDP entered a new era which delinked UNDP from the UN Resident Coordinator system. “This was an opportunity for UNDP to explore a new structure of leadership. Having been Country Director in India (2013-2014) and in Sri Lanka for four years (2014-2018), it was a stepping stone for me to move up and become the UNDP Resident Representative of Sri Lanka.”

When asked about his fond memories of Sri Lanka, Sorensen shares a few examples from his interactions over the years. 

“I vividly remember attending a field mission in the North with my first Resident Coordinator/Resident Representative at the time, SubinayNandy. UNDP, together with a local civil society organisation, was working on issues relating to the families of missing persons. I remember sitting under a big tree with these families, as we listened to their extraordinary stories; the hardships they had been through and what life was like for mothers and widows post-conflict. The experience was both a touching and moving moment for me… it helped me understand what Sri Lanka had gone through with the conflict over the years and made me realise the key role UNDP plays in the process of recovery.”

On another visit to the east of Sri Lanka, Jorn recalls meeting a young mother of three who had lost her husband due to the conflict. Through UNDP’s support, this mother had been provided a livelihood opportunity, undergone training to develop her entrepreneurial skills, and with a small investment through the program is now self-employed and is able to send her small children to school. “This made me feel confident that we are doing something right. The positive impacts are not just isolated to individuals but also has a ripple effect on communities at large. It is a joy to be in this line of work and to have served the people of Sri Lanka.”

Sorensen also highlighted, with great gratitude, the work that UNDP is able to do with the highest institutions in the country. “UNDP has had a fantastic relationship with the Government, with access to the highest levels of the various ministries we work with.” He also highlighted the great relationship with the Department of External Resources, for the great collaboration and understanding. “Similarly, we also work closely with the Parliament of Sri Lanka. It has personally been a privilege to co-chair the project board meetings with the Speaker and Secretary General of Parliament – a sign of the close collaboration that we have with the Government of Sri Lanka.”

While speaking of the achievements of the Country Office during his tenure, Sorensen highlighted a few key facts. “I am very proud to leave behind a ‘happy office’ where people come together in difficult times, which was something I saw especially after the recent Easter Sunday attacks. I have seen staff travel halfway across the country to assist each other during personal emergencies and it has been inspiring to see colleagues go that extra mile for each other.” He further states that due to this change, UNDP has now become more service-minded, while embracing diversity with better outreach. 

“I’m happy to have introduced the Integrated Management Team (IMT) to the Sri Lanka Country Office, which has helped us breakdown the traditionally steep pyramid of management,” says Sorensen. The team which meets weekly, consists of portfolio specialists and team leaders who collectively make decisions for the Country Office together with the Resident Representative and Deputy Resident Representative. 

He also highlighted the success of the two-day National Summit on Foresight and Innovation for Sustainable Human Development, which was co-hosted by UNDP together with the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs in May 2016, which was a first for Sri Lanka. “With the Prime Minister’s request for UNDP to take the innovation agenda forward, in 2018 we were able to launch Citra – Sri Lanka’s first Social Innovation Lab, an initiative fully-funded by the Government of Sri Lanka,” says Sorensen proudly. “It was additionally gratifying when my own home country, the Government of Denmark, also provided initial funding for key projects of the Citra Lab.” 

During his time, UNDP Sri Lanka also launched its flagship youth program – UNDP Youth Leads. This program provides an opportunity every year, for four young people to be a part of UNDP’s work – bringing in more innovation and new thinking into UNDP. Following the successful pilot in 2015, a third batch of Youth Leads were introduced in 2018 and this model has been replicated by many UNDP offices in the Asia Pacific region. 

“We’ve had some very talented young people come into UNDP through this program and then move onto various projects and related work in the development sphere. This opportunity has also helped UNDP do things differently. The third batch of Youth Leads, in line with UNDP’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, was able to bring on board a person with disabilities. This is something I am very proud of and I am hopeful that it will be scaled up and implemented across the UN family so more opportunities can be made available for persons with disabilities.”

When questioned as to what he is most proud of from his years in Sri Lanka, he pauses a while to reminisce on all the good work over the past five years. He replies with a smile, “I am mostly proud of our UNDP staff, who take great pride in the work they do. The space given to staff to think innovatively, delegated authority and the open space to share great ideas to the challenges we face have all contributed towards this.”

Sorensen also highlights the partnerships formed over the years with the private sector in Sri Lanka. “From partners such as Citi, Dialog, Dilmah and Unilever to name a few, we have progressively had good engagement across various projects. The great collaboration from these organisations is something that I will take back with me.” He also mentioned that during his tenure, Sri Lanka managed to secure the largest contribution from the Green Climate Fund for the seven-year Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project (2017-2024).This project, spearheaded by the President as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment,aims to ensure water security and strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka’s dry zone.“I am also particularly proud of the SDG 16 portfolio on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (2019-2022), which aims to strengthen the effectiveness of key institutions to deliver people centred services.” 

Personally, as a next step, Sorensen will be moving to Samoa as the new UNDP Resident Representative for the multi-country office. He will also overlook and manage UNDP’s presence in Niue, Cook Islands and Tokelau. “This will be a new and exciting chapter for me. This is a region that has several climate change and environmental issues, so working on mitigation and adaptation measures will be my first priority,” says Sorensen. “We are on a steep downhill when it comes to climate change and something dramatic needs to be done.”

He further states that he was very impressed by the efforts of Greta Thunberg, the 15-year-old Swedish activist who staged a protest in front of the parliament about the need for immediate action to combat climate change. “She has now become a symbol across the world and has met with high level decision makers including the Secretary General of the United Nations. We should all echo this same sentiment.”Sorensen hopes Sri Lanka can follow suit and invest in more renewable energy and sustainable opportunities, while reducing the use of plastic and investing in better waste management systems.

His message to Sri Lanka is a simple one. “We need to stand together and embrace the rich diversity this island nation has to offer. Focus on the long-term priorities and make sustainable use of the fantastic natural biodiversity and resources Sri Lanka has.” 

“My one regret is not visiting the Knuckles range more frequently during my stay in Sri Lanka,” says Sorensen when asked what he would miss most about the country. “Its beauty cannot be put into words and I would have loved to have spent more time up in the hills.” Not forgetting the yummy food Sri Lanka has to offer, Sorensen says he will miss the spicy rice and curry. “The family has packed a healthy portion of spices and green tea to take with us to Samoa,” he says with a smile.

“Sri Lanka will always have a dear place in my heart. We have many cherished memories from Sri Lanka which was our home for five years, so on behalf of my family – Thank you, Isthuthi, Nanri! And as we say in my country –Farvel Sri Lanka!”