Islamic State sex slave survivor appointed UN goodwill ambassador

A young Iraqi woman who survived rape and abuse as a sex slave of Islamic State (IS) group militants on Friday was appointed a UN goodwill ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking.

Nadia Murad Basee Taha, a 23-year-old Yazidi woman who has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, called for justice for the victims of the militant group and said the 2014 attack on the Yazidis should be recognised as genocide.

Murad was taken from her home village of Kocho, near Iraq's northern town of Sinjar, in August 2014, and brought to IS-controlled Mosul, where she was gang-raped and bought and sold many times.

Since IS declared their caliphate, they have slaughtered and enslaved the minority Yazidi people, an ancient Kurdish-speaking monotheistic sect, as the militants vowed to “purify” the country of non-Islamic people. 

In addition to thousands of women and girls who were enslaved, thousands of men and boys were slain, including Murad's six brothers.

"I was used in the way that they wanted to use me. I was not alone," Murad said during a ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York City.

"Perhaps I was the lucky one. As time passed, I found a way to escape, where thousands others could not. They are still captive."

Her voice trembling, Murad called for the release of some 3,200 Yazidi women and girls still being held as sex slaves by IS militants and for the captors to face justice.

"My real fear is that once ISIS is defeated, ISIS militants, ISIS terrorists will just shave off their beards and walk the streets of the cities as if nothing as happened," she said.

"We cannot let this happen."

Murad said her hope was that, one day, Yazidi victims will be able to look "our abusers in the eye before a court in The Hague and tell the world what they have done to us, so that our community can heal".

As a goodwill ambassador, Murad will focus on raising awareness of the plight of victims of trafficking of persons, especially refugees, women and girls.

The UN said in a statement that her appointment will “focus on advocacy initiatives and raise awareness around the plight of the countless victims of trafficking".

“The appointment marks the first time a survivor of atrocities is bestowed with this distinction," a UN statement read.

International lawyer Amal Clooney, who said the Islamic State group must be held accountable for its grave crimes, represents her.

"We know that what we have before us is genocide, and we know that it is still ongoing," Clooney said.

"I am ashamed as a human being that we ignore their cries for help," said Clooney, drawing applause.

As world leaders converge on the United Nations next week for the annual General Assembly debate, Iraq and Britain will on Monday launch a campaign to push for accountability for crimes committed by IS.

Murad and Clooney are due to attend that event along with Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.