The United Nations Association of New York 2019 UN Day Humanitarian Awards Dinner
From left: UNA-NYC Executive Director Ann Nicol; New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof; actor and activist Mira Sorvino; Delta Air Lines Senior VP Allison Ausband; UNA-NYC Executive VP Robin van Puyenbroeck; UNA-NYC President Abid Qureshi. | Photo: Melanie Zhang
On Thursday, 3 October, the United Nations Association of New York held their annual UN Day Humanitarian of the Year Award Gala Dinner at the J.W. Marriott in New York City, commemorating the 74th anniversary of the United Nations. This year the UN Day honorees selected were individuals and organizations to be awarded for their extraordinary commitment and tireless dedication in leading the global fight against trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation, an ongoing international issue that has put the lives of millions of people, especially children and girls, at risk.
Receiving the award was Delta Air Lines and actor and activist Mira Sorvino, followed by a Lifetime Achievement Award given to New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, all honored for their trailblazing work and commitment to end this modern form of slavery worldwide. Acknowledging the wide range of responses necessary, UNA-NYC president Abid Qureshi stressed that “the fight against human trafficking can only be won if people are aware of the scope and scale of the problem.”
The evening started with an exciting announcement by Joe Schmidt, the founder of Freedom United, on the new partnership with UNA-NYC to accelerate efforts to help end forced labor and call on more governments to ratify the ILO forced labor protocol 29. The partnership includes opportunities for young people to engage with both organizations in policy research and advocacy. “We need the support of people like you to continue to demand change in supply chains and government policy, to make human trafficking and modern slavery history,” Schmidt said.
Delta Air Lines has been an outspoken industry leader in combatting human trafficking, not least in its training of 56,000 employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking. As one of the world's largest airlines, Delta has contributed millions of dollars to fund organizations working to combat this epidemic, provided over 100 flights to victims, and has offered apprenticeships for survivors at its corporate headquarters.
Allison Ausband, Senior Vice President for In-Flight Services, received the award on behalf of the company. She stressed the need for everyone, including travelers and transport employees, to #GetOnBoard with recognizing these signs in all environments. More information about their campaign can be found here.
For more than a decade, Academy Award winning actor Mira Sorvino has been a pioneer in raising awareness of the issue within the entertainment industry. Having supported the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime anti-trafficking initiatives since 2007, Sorvino was appointed to her current position in 2009 as UN Goodwill Ambassador in the Global Fight Against Human Trafficking.
In her conversation with the evening’s master of ceremonies, MSNBC anchor Richard Lui, she emphasized that every person and institution from all sectors should get involved in this fight. Contending that all have something to contribute, Sorvino maintained that “every single one of the 30 million+ people living in the hell that is human trafficking needs our unending efforts to liberate them and give them back the life they were intended for. We cannot rest until they are all free!” (Watch her latest address to the UN General Assembly here.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof was also celebrated for his immense contribution to the anti-human trafficking movement during the Gala, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. As one of the New York Times' most recognizable and widely-followed columnists, Kristof has leveraged his unique position in culture to bring attention to some of the world's most intractable problems when it comes to human trafficking.
In a recent article, Kristof reminded the world's leaders, as they prepared to descend on New York for the recent annual gathering at the UN General Assembly, that tens of millions are effectively locked into modern forms of slavery. And that somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 children are sold for sex in the United States every year. He brings attention not only to the problem, but to solutions that work, such as grassroots community initiatives to identify those at risk of human trafficking.
In the gala’s keynote address given by Simone Monasebian, Chief of the New York office of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, she thanked UNA-NYC for its years-long partnership with the UNODC, informing the audience on the needed support to the organization in fighting for these issues.
Lastly, the evening finished with an appearance and testimonies by this year's UNA-NYC Summer Scholars. All five young women who were awarded this year’s fellowships stressed the importance of continuing support received by the Summer Scholars program, which provides a genuine and meaningful opportunity for young people to become involved with global issues in a hands-on way, while gaining experience in the international field of UN related endeavors.
The UNA-NYC Board of Directors and staff give special thanks to all honorees, partners, guests and volunteers, for their support and participation in another outstanding gala dinner. After such an important gathering, the clear hope remains that more individuals and institutions will join forces and commit to eradicate this atrocious modern form of slavery.
All Photography: MelanieQuinnPhotography.com