A young Iraqi woman, who survived trafficking at the hands of the Islamic State (IS), has been appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking.
Nadia Murad Basee Taha (23), a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, is the Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
The appointment marks the first time a survivor of atrocities is bestowed with this distinction.
“Nadia is a fierce and tireless advocate for the Yazidi people and victims of human trafficking everywhere,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday at her induction ceremony, which was held in connection with the UN’s commemoration of the International Day of Peace.
Ms. Murad had briefed the UN Security Council in its first-ever session on human trafficking in December last year. She described being rounded up with fellow Yazidis in Iraq in 2014.
A relentless advocateA relentless advocate for victims, Ms. Murad was recently named one of Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2016.’
During her Ambassadorship, she will focus on advocacy initiatives and raise awareness around the plight of the countless victims of trafficking in persons, especially refugees, women and girls. — PTI
