Events

MINSK, 19 September (BelTA) – Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Andrei Dapkiunas attended the appointment ceremony of Nadia Murad Basee Taha as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking on 16 September. During the ceremony, he emphasized the importance of joint efforts of all countries in the fight against trafficking in human beings, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his speech on behalf of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, Andrei Dapkiunas welcomed the appointment of Nadia Murad as the UNODC Goodwill Ambassador and stressed the unique nature of her honorable mandate. “The head of the Belarusian mission noted the importance of joint efforts of all the parties concerned in the fight against human trafficking and confirmed the readiness of the Group of Friends to work together to improve the coordination of efforts of the UN member states, international organizations and civil society,” the press service added.

Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman, was enslaved by the Islamic State. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as a survivor of trafficking in persons at the hands of ISIL. She was named among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2016.

The ceremony was held to mark the International Day of Peace. Attending the ceremony were President of the UN General Assembly Peter Tomson and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.