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Appointment of UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Dr Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, as Adjunct Professor of Human Rights, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, as an Adjunct Professor of Human Rights. This appointment further strengthens the Irish Centre’s engagement with and support for the UN Special Procedures and multilateral system for the protection of human rights. Dr Giammarinaro’s extensive experience at EU, OSCE and UN levels, promoting a human-rights based approach to trafficking in persons, will be of great benefit to our students working in the fields of international migration, refugee protection, peace operations and human rights law, in particular.

Commenting on her appointment, Dr Giammarinaro said:

“As UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, I’m aware that the protection of the human rights of its victims requires sustained and joint efforts involving institutions, civil society, media and academia. Trafficking implies severe exploitation, often amounting to slavery and forced labour, and frequently targeting migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, members of minorities, displaced persons, and people fleeing conflict, persecution and discrimination including gender-related discrimination. In many countries governments’ measures to counteract human trafficking have had negative impacts on trafficked persons’ rights. I’m proud and grateful for my appointment as Adjunct Professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. This connection gives me the opportunity to share my experience as Special Rapporteur, especially with a view to identifying the need for further reform of international standards, and their implementation. It will also provide an opportunity for exchanges of ideas and discussion on new strategies to combat this serious human rights violation, and to promote the social inclusion of trafficked and exploited persons as the ultimate goal of any legislation and policy.”   

Dr. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro has served as a Judge in Italy since 1991. She previously served as a Pre-Trial Judge at the Criminal Court of Rome, and currently serves as a Judge in the Civil Court of Rome. From March 2010 to February 2014 she was the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). In this position she hosted the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, a platform for consultation and cooperation including UN Agencies, International Organizations and NGOs. She served from 2006 until 2009 in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security in Brussels, where she was responsible for combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. In this capacity, she led the drafting of the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.