Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo is an Argentine Catholic bishop and Chancellor Emeritus of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. He was consecrated as Titular Bishop of Forum Novum (Vescovio, Italy) by Pope John Paul II in 2001, and was made a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI. His early work centered around an innovative examination of the primary function of the idea of participation in the core theological approach of St. Thomas Aquinas. Drawing upon recent developments in critical research into the structure of the thought of Aristotle, Sánchez Sorondo examined the different interpretations of this philosopher.

Born in Naples on 5 October 1945, he graduated in Law at the Naples University Federico II. Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo is a widower and father of three.

He has taught International Economics at several Italian universities and as Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. He held the chair of International Economics at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Naples for 35 years. He has numerous publications to his credit and is the author of several books on international economics.

From 1983 to 1994, he was an economic advisor to several Ministers of the Italian Republic (Industry, Defence). He was also a member of the Technical Scientific Committee for Economic Planning, an economic advisor to Confindustria and numerous Italian and foreign companies. He was a member of the Scientific Committee of the Foreign Trade Institute and is a member of the Italian Society of Economists. He has written numerous editorials for the daily newspaper ‘Il Mattino’ in Naples.

He is president of the Ernst&Young Foundation, whose aim is to give opportunities to young people in disadvantaged situations. He is the promoter of a Unitalsi structure in Naples, ‘Casa Sveva’, to accommodate families of children hospitalised at paediatric centres in Campania. Since 1962, he has served as a UNITALSI volunteer in pilgrimages to the Shrines of Lourdes and Loreto. He founded and chairs the ‘Renato and Laura Paternò’ Foundation, with charitable aims.

He joined the Order of Malta in 1979 and was at the head of the Association of Italian Knights from June 2016 to April 2023. As president of the Italian Association, he was also head of the Military Corps, which has been run for over a century in close cooperation between the Italian Army and the Order of Malta, specialised in military healthcare. He has participated in numerous international pilgrimages to the Sanctuary of Lourdes and national pilgrimages to Assisi and Loreto. He served as Deputy Observer of the Order of Malta’s mission to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

He took office as Grand Chancellor on 3 September 2022. The Extraordinary Chapter General of 25-29 January 2023 has reconfirmed him for another six years.

The Grand Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs is the head of the executive branch. He is responsible for the foreign policy and the diplomatic missions of the Sovereign Order of Malta. He is also the Minister of Internal Affairs, in charge of the 49 National Associations of the Order in the world. Under the authority of the Grand Master and the terms of the Constitution and Code, he is responsible for the representation of the Order to third parties, the carrying out of policy and the internal administration, as well as the coordination of the activities of the Government of the Order of Malta

Mark Lewis, S.J. earned his doctorate in History at the University of Toronto. He was Director of the Jesuit Historical Institute in Rome from 1998 to 2004. After serving as Provincial of the New Orleans Province he returned to Rome in 2017 to the Pontifical Gregorian University where he currently serves as Rector.

Ian has over 20 years’ experience in law enforcement where he was a Branch Commander leading on serious and organised crime enquiries for the UK’s NCS. He subsequently worked as Chief of Staff for the UK’s inaugural Anti-Slavery Commissioner and is recognised as an expert on modern slavery and human trafficking contributing independent reports for courts and tribunals.
Having led large international organisations as CEO in the wealth and asset management sector, Ian now serves as CEO of Arise Foundation, a charity which is dedicated to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking around the world by supporting and empowering frontline projects.

Dr. Josef D. Blotz (born 22 November 1956 in Hadamar) is a former Major General of the German Army. In his last position, he was Deputy Commanding General of the Eurocorps in Strasbourg (France). 

Stefano Pizzicannella (born in Rome 6 October 1969) graduated in Political Science, obtained a Master Degree in EU Law and Economics at Rome La Sapienza University in 1998. In 2000, he became a senior civil servant at the Prime Minister’s Office in Italy, having successfully passed the fast track training for young managers of the SNA (the Italian National School of Public Administration). Stefano Pizzicannella is currently “Equal Opportunity Policies Office Coordinator” at the Department for equal opportunities. In the past, he served as responsible for international relations at the Department for Public Administration, at the SNA and at the Committee for the Promotion of Leadership. During his professional life, he has been working at the UK Cabinet Office, at the European Commission, at the European Parliament and studying at the London School of Economics. During his career, he has been able to acquire experience and expertise on major policy areas of public governance and public sector modernization especially in the fields of social affairs, public sector integrity, open and digital government. He has been acting as Italian delegate in several EU Committees, at the UN-CEPA, UNCAC, OGP and at the Council of Europe and in international organizations Boards such as those of IASIA, EIPA and EIGE and successfully managed and implemented administrative capacity building and social policy projects for both Italian and international initiatives. In June 2024, he was appointed Special Envoy of the Italia Government for Human Trafficking Issues, a role that entails technical liaison functions, as well as national and international coordination and representation of Italian institutions in this field.

Chiara Cardoletti has over twenty years of experience within the United Nations, having held key positions in crisis contexts across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and Washington.

Prof. Medlir Mema is the Founding Director of the AI Ethics and Governance Institute for Existential Risk, a global hub for ethical foresight, governance innovation, and existential risk mitigation in AI. A former Head of the AI Governance Programme at the Global Governance Institute, Medlir is also a Senior Fellow at the Organized Intelligence, a civil society advocacy organization committed to building a future where artificial intelligence serves—not replaces—human purpose and human flourishing.

Carlotta Santarossa works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Coordination Office for the Mediterranean in Rome. She is the focal point for IOM’s anti-trafficking activities, Project Manager of the Family Reunification Programme, and serves as Legal Specialist for the Office. She is also currently engaged in the analysis of the potential future implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and supports the Italian Ministry of the Interior in the implementation of the National Implementation Plan for Italy, in the framework of a project funded by the European Commission.

Prof. Tomoya Obokata (Japan) was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences in March 2020. He is a Japanese scholar of international law and human rights, specialising in transnational organised crime, human trafficking and modern slavery. Prof. Obokata currently serves as Professor of International Human Rights Law at York Law School, and previously taught at Keele University, Queen's University Belfast and Dundee University (all in the United Kingdom Great Britain and Northern Ireland). He has extensive experience of working on the issues of transnational crime, human trafficking and modern slavery with relevant stakeholders, including the UK Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Northern Ireland Assembly All Party Group on Human Trafficking, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the International Organisation for Migration and the European Union. Mr. Obokata also worked as a legal clerk for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Japan. He has published widely on the topics mentioned.

Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern is chair of the Clewer Initiative, the Church of England response to modern slavery. He has been chair of the advisory board of the UK’s Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner, and also of the board of the Policy and Evidence Centre for modern slavery. As vice chair of the Anglican Alliance , and a found of the Global Sustainability Network , he has been involved in pursuing the issues of modern slavery and human trafficking at an international level.

Ms. Reem Alsalem was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences in July 2021 by the UN Human Rights Council for a three-year tenure. She started her tenure on 1 August 2021.

Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh (The Gambia) was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. She started her mandate on 1 May 2020.

Mark is a Detective Chief Superintendent from Devon and Cornwall Police in the UK, a serving Police Officer for over 22 years. His experience includes command of Public Protection Units, Serious and Organised Crime Units and Executive leadership across operational, community. partnership, analytical and investigative functions. He is a specialist advisor for child abuse investigations, especially on-line child sexual exploitation, the management of serious and sexual offenders, missing and exploited children, modern slavery, human trafficking and Organised Immigration Crime.

Il Principe Benedetto Barberini è da sempre attivo nel sostegno ai più bisognosi, agli emarginati e alle persone in situazioni di vulnerabilità. Cavaliere di Gran Croce di Onore e Devozione del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta, ricopre attualmente la carica di Presidente del CISOM, dopo esserne stato a lungo Vicepresidente.

Luca Aragone is a senior executive with extensive experience in managing complex commercial and logistical operations across the Mediterranean. In parallel to his corporate career, he has built a longstanding and significant commitment within the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Mr. Valastro was born in 1974 and is a lawyer by profession, specialized in Italian Public Administration. He was admitted to the Catania Register of Lawyers and became a barrister of the Supreme Court. He currently works as a Process Analyst and Public Administration Manager at INPS.

In 1993, he joined the Italian Red Cross Youth, volunteering in social welfare and youth activities. He progressed from local branch Youth President to become the President of the Italian Red Cross Youth. He exhibited keen interest in the international field of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and in 2008 was elected to the European Coordination Committee.

Mr. Valastro transitioned from the Italian Red Cross Youth to the Governance of the Italian Red Cross, where he was elected at first National Vice President in 2016 and then National President of the Italian Red Cross in 2023.
Throughout his tenure, he has served on various platforms including the RFL leadership platform of the ICRC and the IFRC Migration leadership platform. He has represented the Italian Red Cross at the highest levels, both nationally and internationally, including at the Statutory Meetings of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, at the United Nations General Assembly, at CNEL and at EESC.

Over his career, Mr. Valastro has received numerous awards and recognitions, such as the title of “Cavaliere per i Diritti Umani” and the “Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana”, among others. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi was sworn in as the 87th Attorney General of the United States on February 5th, 2025. She is a fourth-generation Floridian from Tampa, Florida who spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor, trying cases ranging from domestic violence to capital murder. In 2010, she ran for Florida Attorney General, becoming the 37th and first female Attorney General in Florida’s history, serving for two consecutive terms from 2011-2019.
As Florida's Attorney General, Pam Bondi remained unwavering in her commitment to make Florida the safest state to live, work, and raise a family. When Attorney General Bondi took office, Florida was referred to as the pill mill capital of the United States. Of the top 100 oxycodone dispensers in the country, 98 of them were in Florida. In her first legislative session, Attorney General Bondi successfully fought for tough legislation to shut down all 98 of these unscrupulous doctors and clinics. She was then appointed Co-chair of the Substance Abuse Committee for the National Association of Attorneys General and to President Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission where she worked alongside other national leaders in areas of prevention, interdiction, and treatment.
In her commitment to combating human trafficking, Attorney General Bondi spearheaded efforts to strengthen Florida's state laws, raise public awareness, and provide enhanced resources for victims. Under her leadership, the Florida Legislature created the Florida Statewide Human Trafficking Council. Attorney General Bondi served as Chair of the Council until the conclusion of her tenure as Florida Attorney General.
In 2019, Attorney General Bondi joined the White House as Special Advisor to President Trump in the Office of White House Counsel, working on the defense legal team throughout the unprecedented Impeachment Proceedings.
Attorney General Bondi also served on the Board of Trustees for the Kennedy Center and as the Chair of the Center for Litigation, Co-Chair of the Center for Law and Justice, and Chair of the Florida Chapter at the America First Policy Institute.
Dates of Service  : 2025 – Present 

The Honorable Todd Blanche is the 40th Deputy Attorney General of the United States, overseeing the work of the 115,000 dedicated employees who fulfill the Department of Justice’s mission at Main Justice, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, ATF, and 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

Andrew Bailey was appointed co-deputy director of the FBI in September 2025.
Mr. Bailey grew up in Missouri and attended the University of Missouri on an Army ROTC scholarship. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he volunteered for a combat arms branch of service then volunteered to deploy to Iraq, where he served as an armored cavalry scout platoon leader from 2005 to 2006. Upon his return to the United States, his unit moved, refit, and trained for a subsequent fifteen-month deployment to Iraq from 2007 to 2009.

Lynn Fitch was sworn in as Mississippi’s 40th Attorney General and first ever woman Attorney General on January 9, 2020. She was elected to her second term in 2023.

Frances Fitzgerald is a globally recognised leader and advocate for equality from Ireland. With over 20 years of parliamentary experience, she has held some of the country’s highest offices, including Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Business, Enterprise & Innovation, Minister for Justice & Equality, and Ireland’s first-ever Minister for Children & Youth Affairs. From 2019 to 2024, Frances served as a Member of the European Parliament, where she was an influential voice on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, and the Development Committee. As MEP for Dublin, she co-led the groundbreaking EU Directive on Violence Against Women. Her leadership in this space led to her appointment to the G7’s Gender Equality Advisory Committee. In March 2021, Frances was elected Vice Chair of the EPP Group, and in July 2019, she became the EPP Coordinator of the FEMM Committee. In 2024, she further extended her advocacy work by becoming the first-ever ambassador for Ruhama, an international organisation that supports women affected by prostitution and sex trafficking.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan, An Garda Síochána, Irelands’ National Police Service

Fr. Leonir Mario Chiarello, C.S., is the Superior General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, Scalabrinians, an international religious congregation serving migrants, refugees, seafarers and fishers in 35 countries on five continents. Fr. Leonir is also member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life.

Tatiana Kotlyarenko is an international expert and speaker on violence against women and girls and human trafficking. She currently serves as a member of the G20 IF20 Human Trafficking Working Group. She was the Advisor on Anti-Trafficking Issues at OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights from 2016-2023. She worked on the 2nd edition of the National Referral Mechanisms - Joining Efforts to Protect the Rights of Trafficked Persons: A Practical Handbook and Addressing Emerging Human Trafficking Trends and Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as providing technical support and capacity building to combat trafficking in human beings to OSCE participating states. In response to the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, which especially impacts women and children, Tatiana conducted rapid assessment missions and provided recommendations to countries on how to prevent and address trafficking of Ukrainian women and children. In addition, Tatiana works on issues related to sexual violence in conflict. She has been the recipient of the Last Girl Awards in 2022 and is a member of BMW Responsible Leaders.

Geneviève Colas, a representative of Secours Catholique-Caritas France has created and still coordinates the collective ‘Together Against Human Trafficking’ (www.contrelatraite.org) – a group of 28 French associations with a strong network of international partner organisations. This collective works to raise public awareness, carries out prevention and advocacy activities, supports and empowers victims, and promotes networking.
With her experience in Europe (in the European Union, the Balkans and the Caucasus) and Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, etc.), Geneviève Colas is now establishing partnerships on all continents and conducting advocacy at national, European and global levels. She is a member of the European Civil Society Platform Against Trafficking in Human Beings and participates in the management of the global Coatnet network created by Caritas Internationalis, which brings together associations from around the world.
In 2014, Geneviève Colas led the production of the publication ‘The New Faces of Slavery’ and, in 2016-2017, she coordinated the creation of two brochures and films, #Invisibles and #Devenir, on the trafficking of minors in France. During this period, she also led action research on human trafficking in conflict and post-conflict situations in the Euro-Mediterranean region in 2016. She also coordinated another action research project: ‘Invisible children, an unpunished crime: taking action against human trafficking’.
In 2024, on the occasion of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she was the coordinator of the campaign ‘Awareness-raising on the sidelines of major sporting events’. Then, on the occasion of the European Day Against Human Trafficking 2025, an online training module entitled ‘Recognising, guiding and supporting victims of human trafficking’ was published.
This module was developed in collaboration with ‘Portraits parlants’ (Talking Portraits), which brought together eight victims or survivors of human trafficking in 2025. Their creations, some of which illustrate this document, are compiled in a brochure presenting their work. In addition, in an additional podcast, these individuals explain, in their own words, the process they were involved in through this project.
Geneviève Colas is a member of the Justice and Peace Commission in France.
Since 2017, Geneviève Colas has been a member of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), the French national human rights institution.
Contact: genevieve.colas@secours-catholique.org +33 6 71 00 69 90

Sr. Patricia Ebegbulem, SSL is a Sister of St. Louis and a leading Nigerian advocate in the global fight against human trafficking. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; a Postgraduate Diploma in Religious Studies from Milton Park, Dublin, Ireland; and a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Boston College, Massachusetts, USA.
Sr. Patricia has served in diverse leadership and educational roles. She worked as a High School Teacher (1970–1980), High School Principal (1980–1995), and later as Provincial Superior of the Sisters of St. Louis, Nigeria (1995–2003).

Dr. Maria Mercedes Rossi is the main representative of the Associazione Comunità Papa Gio vanni XXIII (APG23) at the UN in Geneva since 2009. She holds a degree in Medicine (MD) and a Speciality in Infectious Diseases, a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and a Master in Public Health (MPH). She worked as a medical doctor in Zambia for 20 years. At the UN, Dr. Rossi advocates, inter alia, also on the issues of Trafficking in Persons and Migration.

Rafał Szepietowski is a humanitarian volunteer and crisis-response coordinator with over a decade of service within the Sovereign Order of Malta. He serves as Director for International Cooperation at Maltese Aid – Maltese Medical Service Poland, the Polish Order of Malta Relief Organization, and as an Associate Member of the Order of Malta Relief Organizations’ CEE Steering Committee. In these roles, he leads cross-border initiatives and strengthens regional cooperation frameworks in support of preparedness and international humanitarian activities.

Sendrine Constant has 25 years of global experience in child protection and has worked in South East Asia, Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe, leading programmes, research, innovation, and evidence-based advocacy to drive systemic change. Her work focuses on strengthening protection systems, elevating children’s voices, and building partnerships that advance the rights and protection of children worldwide. She currently leads the Programmes for ECPAT International.

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Andrea Favaloro is an international executive and strategic advisor with more than 30 years of experience in asset management and global business leadership. He has held senior roles in leading organisations such as CBIS, Mizuho Group, Generali Investments, BNP Paribas, managing multicultural teams and complex transformations across Europe, the UK and Asia-Pacific.

Jean Benoit Manhes is the Deputy Co-ordinator of OSCE Office for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings, ensuring programmatic coordination of all CTHB portfolios (Tech, Financial Tracking, Capacitation, Trafficking in crisis (Ukraine) and supply chains), as well as transversal approaches, advocacy and partnerships.

Sister Abby Avelino, MM, is the International Coordinator of Talitha Kum, the global Catholic Sisters–led network active in more than 100 countries with over 6,000 members dedicated to ending human trafficking and all forms of modern slavery.

Karl Racine, the former and first-elected Attorney General of Washington, D.C., leads bet-the-company litigation, investigations, and enforcement actions, while also leading the firm’s State Attorneys General practice.
Karl is a trailblazer. He built the D.C. AG’s office into the top public law firm in America and established himself as a leader among U.S. attorneys general. Recognizing his sophisticated work and impressive results on national issues, the bipartisan National Association of Attorneys General awarded Karl the Kelley-Wyman Award—the top award given to an AG.
As AG, Karl focused locally on preserving affordable housing, cracking down on slumlords, battling wage theft, protecting consumers, reforming the juvenile justice system, and safeguarding public integrity. Nationally, his office rose to prominence on emerging issues that intersect with artificial intelligence, big data, privacy, competition, and ESG. Importantly, Karl’s work made a name for D.C. as a model jurisdiction in consumer protection matters.
Karl draws on over 30 years of legal and leadership experience. Before becoming AG, he forged a distinguished private practice, becoming the first African-American managing partner of a top-100 American law firm. With a long history of success and high-profile work, he has defended leading companies in civil litigation, white-collar investigations, and criminal matters. Previously, he served as Associate White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton and a D.C. Public Defender.
Karl serves on the board of directors of DXC Technology, a Fortune 500 global IT services business that helps clients modernize operations and drive innovation, and Safe Harbor Financial, a financial services technology firm that serves the regulated cannabis industry.
Born in Haiti, Karl came to D.C. at the age of three. He earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he captained the basketball team, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. 

Cristina Duranti, PhD, is the Director of the Good Shepherd International Foundation (GSIF), a non-profit organization that supports the mission of the Good Shepherd Sisters in 35 countries to protect children and empower women. Before setting up the Foundation in 2007, Cristina served as consultant for Italian universities and government agencies in Economic Policy, Economics of Public Goods and Management of Non Profit Organizations. In her role as Director, Cristina has fund-raised and helped design programs to uphold the rights of girls, children and women in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Cristina is an expert in Business and Human Rights and the interception of child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains.

Fr. Hans Zollner SJ, holds doctorates in theology, psychology and psychotherapy. Since 2012, he has been professor and director of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, which was transformed into the Institute for Anthropology. Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (IADC). He is a member of the Safeguarding Commission of the Diocese of Rome and a consultor to the Dicastery fo the Clergy.