UNVTF Board of Trustees 

Marijana Savic, director of NGO Atina from Serbia, was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UNVTF). 

The UNVTF Board comprises five experts with relevant experience in the field of trafficking in persons. It is appointed by the UN Secretary-General with due regard to geographical representation to serve a three-year term. The five members provide strategic advice to the Trust Fund Secretariat in managing the Fund. 

For the term 2023 - 2026, the Board Members, as appointed by the UN Secretary-General, include: 

Mr. Abdulla Hussain M.J. Al-Nameh, State of Qatar; 

Ms. Victoria Nyanjura, Republic of Uganda; 

Ms. Mariana Ruenes, Mexico; 

Ms. Marijana Savić, Republic of Serbia; and

Ms. Mira Sorvino, United States of America.

The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UNVTF) was established in July 2010 by the UN General Assembly through the adoption of Resolution 64/293, endorsing the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

 Administered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Trust Fund's mandate is to provide humanitarian, legal, and financial aid to victims of trafficking in persons through the awarding of multi-year grants to specialized, in-situ, civil society organizations (CSOs), who are on the frontlines of tackling human trafficking. Adopting a victim-centered approach, the Trust Fund directly supported over 80,000 individuals since its establishment through its CSO partners. The CSOs provide critical assistance to victims, including shelter, health services, psycho-social support, education, vocational training, and access to financial inclusion. The Trust Fund’s approach aligns with the ‘3P’ paradigm of ‘Prevention,’ ‘Prosecution,’ and ‘Protection,’ formulated under the Trafficking in Persons Protocol. This paradigm serves as the fundamental framework used by governments around the world to combat trafficking in persons and seeks to guarantee the rights of each victim.