About 49.6 million individuals are currently trapped in modern slavery, with one in four victims being children, according to a 2022 report published by the International Labor Organization. This crime is so prevalent that it is happening right now and in every country around the world. It has grown exponentially to become the second-largest black market after the illicit drug trade.  

Ending human trafficking is, therefore, no small feat. It requires a coordinated effort from international organizations, member states, NGOs, and survivors who have turned their trauma into advocacy. UN volunteers have also become an integral part of the parties joining to fight and prevent this crime.  

I am from Nigeria, where insecurity is a part of daily life. An event of my life changed everything forever. It happened when I was 20, carefree, riding my motorcycle. I was traveling from Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, to a town called Sheria. Along the way, I stopped to look at a motorcycle lying on the ground. Before I could make sense, a man emerged from the bushes, pointing a gun at me. The sound of a gunshot shattered the air before I could react. I survived after multiple surgeries. But I had lost my leg—a harsh testament to the insecurity in my country and perhaps a reminder that I was meant to walk a different path. My name is Adamu Ibrahim and this is my story.

As I sit in my office in New York, reflecting on my journey from United Nations Volunteers (UNV) to Ambassador of Canada and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, it's the fieldwork that I cherish the most. These experiences—both the successes and the struggles—shaped me into the diplomat I am today. In 1995, I was a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Verification Mission for Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which not only prepared me for working with the UN, but also made this journey possible. I’m proud and grateful to say that I was—and still am—a UN Volunteer at heart. 

 I believe there is one essential element in all our lives as human beings that deserves recognition: helping and supporting people and the environment—the core value of volunteering. 

Every year, the International Women's Day calls for action on gender equality. At its core—is the empowerment of the next generation—youth, especially young women and adolescent girls. In Europe and Central Asia, the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence was a stark reminder to preserve human rights, promote gender equality, and most importantly, the power of collective action in leaving no one behind. 230 UN Volunteers came together for the campaign.

I hail from the storied city of Bamyan, Afghanistan, where the echoes of ancient civilizations still linger, but the voice of Shahmama (the female Buddha in Bamyan) is suffocated! I am Zahra Hussaini and this is my story.