Annette Twahirwa Kirabira is a Counselling Psychologist by profession, and holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership. She is a Founding Member and Executive Director of Rahab Uganda; an NGO that works to contribute to the ending commercial sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking. Annette is also a Founding Member and the Former Chairperson of the Board for the Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons-Uganda (CATIP-U); a coalition of NGOs in Uganda working to address various aspects of human trafficking both in Uganda and across its borders. After 20 years of working with victims and survivors of sexual exploitation she has a wealth of experience in trauma informed responses and client centered approaches to assisting victims and survivors. She also has experience in lobbying and working with various government and non-government agencies and stakeholders in enforcing the various laws and ensuring protection of victims and survivors of trafficking in persons.

Bukeni Waruzi has helped put a Congolese warlord behind bars at the International Criminal Court (ICC), has helped women trafficked into domestic servitude in the Middle East, and has served as a human rights champion with American, European and African organizations for more than 20 years.

As executive director of Free the Slaves, he works closely with the board, the global team and headquarters to provide strategic leadership and set a vision for one of the world’s most widely-known and respected anti-modern slavery organizations.

Waruzi has documented human rights abuses, designed and implemented advocacy campaigns, made public presentations around the world, and trained hundreds of human rights advocates and activists in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), his home country, he formed the grassroots nonprofit group AJEDI-KA/Child Soldiers Project to confront the widespread enslavement and the use of children as soldiers by armed militias and forces. Through video, he documented evidence that led to the conviction of a Congolese warlord at the ICC, released more than 360 children from militia in eastern DRC.

In Kenya, Waruzi worked for the Porticus Foundation, overseeing projects on human rights, civic engagement, education, and climate change. For nearly a decade he was a senior program manager for WITNESS in New York, a group that empowers victims worldwide to collect evidence that brings perpetrators to justice. He recently served as executive director of Watchlist in New York, an organization that protects children in conflict zones and advocate for children at the United Nations Security Council.

Waruzi has spoken to high level audiences including the United Nations Security Council, the International Criminal Court and the Children’s Caucus of the U.S. Congress. He currently represents anti-slavery groups as a civil society member of the Global Coordinating Group of Alliance 8.7, the global initiative to attain Sustainable Development target 8.7, the end of child and forced labor worldwide.

Carolina is a lawyer from the Universidad de Concepción, with a Master’s in Criminal Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is a Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at American University, specializing in human trafficking, corruption, and international human rights law.
Carolina is a member of the Capra Course Network. She has undertaken postgraduate studies in constitutional law and fundamental rights at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, as well as studies in moral philosophy at the Universidad de Concepción and philosophy of science at IFICC.

She worked as a lawyer in the Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Interior and Public Security of Chile, where she coordinated the Intersectoral Roundtable on Human Trafficking and its National Action Plan (2013–2014). From 2016 to 2018, she was in charge of International Affairs at the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF), where she led the development of the Second National Strategy against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (2018–2020). She served as Head of International Relations at the Chilean Ministry of Women and Gender Equality in 2022.

She co-founded and chaired Fundación Libera, a nonprofit organization working against human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery. She has been a lecturer at several Chilean universities, a consultant for the Inter-American Commission of Women and Eurosocial+, and a researcher at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Elisa Franceschinis is a nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience, including 15 years working across the Middle East. For the past 11 years, she has served as Managing Director of en.v, a Kuwait-based organization advancing equity, transforming mindsets, strengthening agency, and fostering solidarity through inclusive, participatory approaches.

Over the last decade, Elisa has designed and led programs supporting underserved communities and young people to build civic engagement skills while collaboratively addressing systemic barriers to inclusion. Her work centers on creating safe spaces for cross-sector collaboration and collective problem-solving in complex and diverse contexts.

She brings extensive experience strengthening civil society organizations and grassroots movements through training and facilitation in strategic planning, governance, program design, and evaluation. Elisa has also led participatory research initiatives aimed at advancing inclusion within civil society and the education sector.

Deeply committed to reshaping dominant narratives on migration in the Gulf, Elisa fosters dialogue among civil society, public and private institutions, and migrant workers, promoting intersectional analysis and more compassionate, equitable systems and policies across the region.

She holds an MA in Gender Studies from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.

Dr Jason Haynes is an Associate Professor of Law and Deputy Head of Postgraduate Research at the University of Birmingham. He was previously Senior Lecturer in Law and Deputy Dean at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, and previously served as Senior Legal Officer at the British High Commission in Barbados. He is a Barrister-at-Law and Solicitor.

His monograph on human trafficking won the UNESCO/Juan Bosch Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Social Science Research in Latin America and the Caribbean. He serves on the Leadership Committee of the Caribbean Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons, and has widely consulted on the issue of human trafficking for a number of governments and organisations, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

His work has been widely published in leading peer-reviewed law journals, including Modern Law Review, Leiden Journal of International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, American Journal of International Law, Law Quarterly Review, Asian Journal of International Law, and African Journal of International and Comparative Law.

Jeff Morgan is the Senior Advisor for Cocoa Sustainability for Sucden Cocoa, a division of Sucden, the Paris-based, international commodity trading business that focusses on supplying sugar, coffee, and cocoa to major manufacturers worldwide. Jeff has more than 40 years’ experience working in the global cocoa sector. Prior to joining the Sucden Cocoa Sustainability team in August 2019, Jeff worked for a major manufacturer of globally known chocolate brands. In that capacity, Jeff was instrumental in the development of a holistic cocoa sustainability program. In his career, Jeff has focused his efforts primarily on the social elements of sustainability— especially child labor and forced labor. At Sucden, Jeff has been exploring how to implement due diligence systems that can efficiently and effectively assess and address the presence of risk indicators of forced labor. Given the complexity of global cocoa supply chains, there are significant challenges that must be addressed through the design of practical approaches to forced labor risk assessments.

Jeff was a technical advisor to the cocoa industry group that developed the Harkin Engel Protocol in 2001, and in that capacity worked closely with producer country governments, the ILO, and other human rights organizations to investigate the fundamental aspects of child labor and forced labor in the cocoa sector. Jeff has significant experience working in partnership with civil society organizations to implement sustainability programs in a number of cocoa producing origins. Jeff has served as the Co-President of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and on various working groups within the World Cocoa Foundation. Jeff currently is Sucden’s representative on the European Cocoa Association’s Sustainability Working Group.

Marie Helene BOUCHARD holds the pivotal role of Director of Global Engagment, Policy and Advocacy at Free the Slaves, a globally recognized organization headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to eradicating human trafficking, forced labor, modern slavery, and child labor worldwide.

In her capacity, Marie spearheads the development and execution of comprehensive engagement strategies with governments and key institutions both nationally and internationally. Her responsibilities include raising awareness, mobilizing support, engaging key actors and influencing policies aimed at combating modern slavery. She plays a crucial role in coordinating government mobilization efforts, representing the organization in high-level policy discussions, and establishing strategic partnerships with governmental entities and strategic networks and advocacy partners.

With over two decades of experience in government relations and strategic partnerships, Marie brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her remarkable leadership skills, coupled with her multilingual communication abilities, enable her to navigate complex diplomatic landscapes effectively. Moreover, her unwavering commitment to integrity and confidentiality ensures the trust and confidence of stakeholders at all levels.

Marie’s academic background includes a degree in Public Relations, Communication, and Management, underscoring her solid foundation in relevant disciplines. Before assuming her current position, she executed several diplomatic duties for the Government of Gabon including the Embassy of Gabon in Belgium, where she honed her diplomatic acumen and administrative proficiency.

In summary, Marie Helene BOUCHARD’s dedication to advancing the fight against modern slavery, coupled with her extensive experience and expertise in government relations, makes her an invaluable asset to Free the Slaves and the global effort to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.

Pierre-Justin Kouka, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking, where he leads the delivery of the Commission’s strategy, report, and global advocacy agenda. With more than 25 years of experience across multilateral institutions, he has held senior positions at the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). His career spans high-level political engagement, institutional reform, resource mobilization, and human capital development. A bilingual (French/English) strategist and coalition builder, Dr. Kouka is recognized for advancing systems-level change, promoting agricultural development, and strengthening global efforts to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking.

Shamere McKenzie is a dedicated consultant, activist, and internationally recognized speaker known for her expertise in human trafficking. With a remarkable journey of turning personal adversities into opportunities for liberation and protection, Shamere has become a catalyst for social and political change both in America and across the globe.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Sun Gate Foundation, an anti-trafficking organization, Shamere passionately channels her commitment to education and policy into providing survivors of human trafficking with essential educational opportunities. Her influential role extends to the Maryland State Human Trafficking Task Force, where she co-chairs the victim’s services committee.

Beyond her impact in the United States, Shamere responded to a call from the Ministry of Justice in her birthplace, Jamaica, and holds the distinguished title of the first appointed Anti-Human Trafficking Ambassador for Jamaica since 2018.

Drawing on her experiences as a former Program Director, Shamere authored a groundbreaking anti-trafficking program and oversaw an emergency residential program for adult survivors. She is a sought-after resource, having trained various professionals, including the FBI, Homeland Security, and Bureau of Diplomatic Security, as well as personnel from churches, hotels, and airlines, on identifying and responding to human trafficking victims.

Shamere’s compelling narrative, rooted in her lived experiences with sex trafficking, has been featured in several books, documentaries, and media outlets, serving as an impactful educational tool. Her most recent documentary, “False Promises,” released in 2018 on the island of Aruba, specifically addresses sex trafficking awareness among Caribbean youth.

In 2015, Shamere graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She actively contributes to various boards, advisory boards, and speaker’s bureaus, garnering numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding work.

Shamere’s unwavering determination, passion for success, and her faith in Jesus Christ serve as guiding principles, reinforcing her commitment to the cause. Refusing to be labeled a victim or survivor, she proudly identifies as a liberator – breaking free from the chains of her past to pave the way for others who have endured enslavement.