Launch of Global Commission’s Report on Modern Slavery
Bearing Witness at the United Nations: Our Founder’s Photography Illuminates the Global Call to End Modern Slavery
A Historic Launch at the United Nations
This week marked a powerful milestone in the global movement to end modern slavery and human trafficking. At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking officially launched its landmark report—a bold and urgent call for international collaboration to dismantle the systems that enable exploitation.
Who Is the Global Commission?
The Global Commission is a high-level, independent body established to drive systemic change in the fight against modern slavery. Chaired by Baroness May of Maidenhead, the Commission includes global leaders, survivor advocates, policy experts, and private sector voices. Together, they are working to re-center the conversation around prevention, accountability, and meaningful action.
Lisa Kristine’s Images: A Visual Voice for Justice
At this historic event, we at the Human Thread Foundation were deeply honored to witness the photography of our founder, Lisa Kristine, featured prominently in the exhibition space and within the report itself.
Lisa’s work—captured over years of documenting human trafficking and forced labor around the world—brought an essential emotional and ethical layer to the conversations unfolding in the room. Her portraits do more than document suffering—they restore dignity, demand empathy, and spark action.
Making the Invisible Visible
Through Lisa’s lens, attendees were invited to engage not just with policy, but with people. Her images offered a human context for every conversation—reminding us that each statistic in the report represents a life, a family, a future.
The photographs hung silently on the walls of the UN, yet they spoke volumes. They helped ground the event in the human realities behind systemic issues—transforming data into connection, and policy into purpose.
Survivor Voices and Private Sector Commitments
One of the most impactful moments came from Nasreen Sheikh, a survivor and tireless advocate, who shared her story with breathtaking clarity. Her presence was a call to listen more deeply—to center lived experience in every effort moving forward.
Equally powerful was the address by John Schultz, COO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, who spoke to the responsibility of business to act ethically. He reminded us that the private sector must be part of the solution—and that leadership and transparency can help reshape entire industries.
A Call for Coordinated Global Action
Our Chair, Baroness May, met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, to emphasize the urgency of a unified global response. Their dialogue highlighted the role of data, technology, and prevention strategies, as well as the need to protect those most vulnerable to exploitation.
