Board Members
SHIHANA MOHAMED
President, Asia Global Forum
Shihana Mohamed, a Sri Lankan national and expert in international policy with over 25 years of experience at the United Nations, is now transitioning her extensive expertise into new efforts as a purposeful global citizen. Shihana’s work focuses on empowering local communities to engage in global decision-making and fostering collaboration among regional communities to address shared challenges.
A fierce champion for the advancement of women and girls, Shihana has dedicated her career to dismantling the structural barriers that hinder gender equality. During her tenure at the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), she was instrumental in modernizing global standards for gender parity and parental leave. She also managed the Global Mobility and Hardship Scheme and spearheaded policies on geographical balance and workforce diversity. Her leadership was further defined by her service in the UN Global Network of Gender Focal Points and the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE).
As a Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project and Equality Now on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls.” Shihana’s advocacy is featured on platforms including Inter Press Service, UN Today, Global Issues, Visible Magazine, and InDepthNews, etc. As a dedicated human rights activist, Shihana continues to bridge high-level diplomacy and grassroots activism to forge an equitable, inclusive, and interconnected future.
Deeply committed to combating racism and racial discrimination, Shihana has been a leading force in changing organizational culture in the UN system. As the Founder and a Coordinator of the United Nations Asia Network for Diversity & Inclusion (UN-ANDI), she pioneered initiatives to expose exclusionary practices and advocate for structural change within international organizations.
Shihana holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University (USA), a Master’s in Transportation Engineering (Thailand), and a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering (Sri Lanka).
Tomoko Okuno
Treasurer
Tomoko Okuno is a seasoned program strategist and leader specializing in U.S.–Japan relations and Indo-Pacific affairs with 20 years of experience at the intersection of business, policy, and international engagement. She has a proven track record of designing and delivering high-impact programs that convene senior policymakers, corporate executives, and academic leaders to address complex global economic and geopolitical challenges.
Most recently, Tomoko served as Senior Director of the Business & Policy Forum in New York, where she led the strategy, development, and execution of high-level public programs, private convenings, and international delegations. She cultivated and managed relationships with diverse stakeholders—including government officials, C-suite executives, and board members—while overseeing program strategy, fundraising, and cross-functional collaboration.
During her tenure, she founded and scaled a flagship Women’s Initiative, engaging more than 50 corporations and over 1,000 participants within two years. She led the development and execution of a comprehensive portfolio of Women’s Initiative programs, including flagship events, workshops, group mentoring programs, and international delegation projects. She also played a key role in expanding the organization’s reach and impact, significantly increasing program attendance, revenue, and media visibility.
Earlier in her career at Japan Society, Tomoko held progressively senior roles spanning program development, corporate engagement, and strategic communications. She began her career in New York in research, translation, and marketing roles focused on U.S.–Japan business relations.
Tomoko holds a Master of Science in International Affairs from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Language and Communication from Kansai Gaidai University. She is bilingual in English and Japanese and brings deep cross-sector networks across government, industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations.
Josiane Sidibe is a retired senior international civil servant with extensive experience in global governance, humanitarian operations, and strategic human resources management within the United Nations system. She holds an MBA from Pace University Nnew York and a postgraduate degree (DEA) from Université de Bourgogne.
She began her career in frontline humanitarian operations, coordinating refugee protection programs in complex and high-risk environments, including Angola, South Africa, and Somalia. She subsequently joined the World Health Organization in Geneva, where she held senior leadership roles in human resources and organizational strategy.
As a senior WHO official, Ms. Sidibe played a key role in the modernization and harmonization of HR policies across the UN Common System. Her contributions span critical areas including geographical mobility, organizational design, job classification, and compensation frameworks, strengthening institutional coherence and operational effectiveness. She also served as WHO’s representative to the International Civil Service Commission, contributing to inter-agency policy alignment and governance standards at the system-wide level.
In addition to her international career, Ms. Sidibe is actively engaged in promoting sustainable and inclusive development initiatives. She supports responsible tourism development in Casamance and youth employment initiatives, reflecting a continued commitment to local impact.
Ms. Sidibe, who holds both Senegalese and French nationality, brings extensive multilateral experience, a strategic approach, and unwavering dedication to inclusive, ethical leadership, institutional integrity, and sustainable transformation.
SECRETARY