ruth pojman

Ruth Freedom Pojman is an international expert with twenty years of experience working on conflict management, forced labour, gender, human rights, migration, anti-corruption and illicit trade issues, especially from an economic perspective.
She currently serves as a Senior Consultant for the ILO to support to the forced labour work of FUNDAMENTALs. Her previous work with the ILO included: co-authoring a global guide on the Reintegration of Victims of Forced Labour through Skills Development and Lifelong Learning, conducting E-learning on the prevention of forced labor, on Global Skills Partnerships, and working with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations on a self- assessment of the government’s system of protection and support to labour migrants and victims of human trafficking.

She serves on several Advisory Boards and Steering Committees. For example, she is a founding board member of the Rotary Club Vienna Maria Theresia and serves on Humanity United’s Global Advisory Group to Forced Labour and Human Trafficking. She is also an OSCE/ODIHR Election Observer.

For a decade, Pojman was the Deputy Coordinator and Senior Advisor, OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB). There she worked with the Special Representative to support the 57 participating States of the OSCE on the implementation of international instruments and commitments, through country visits, conferences, capacity building, research, legal and policy level analysis and recommendations. She led the Office’s work on issues relating to the application of principles of due diligence and transparency in addressing risks of exploitation throughout supply chains, to encourage governments to harmonize national standards, including on ethical sourcing in public procurement and fair recruitment. She directed the Model Guidelines on Government Measures to Prevent Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in Supply Chains.

Prior to this she worked at the Europe and Eurasia (E&E) Bureau, United States Agency for International Development (USAID); for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Central Asia; and for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In addition, she worked in media relations for Mobil Oil in Kazakhstan, and on support for civil society initiatives (environment, gender, disabilities, media, children and youth), on educational exchanges and in conflict resolution.

Pojman has an M.A. in International Affairs, with a focus on Russian and Central Eurasian Studies, from The American University. She received certificates from the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Vienna, and in Documentary Film from the George Washington University. She was a co-founder and Eurasia Editor of the journal Demokratizatsiya and has contributed to documentary and independent films on human trafficking, migration and organized crime.