Mariam Khokhar is a Pakistani national with a social and public policy background.  She has worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the past seven years on a wide variety of migration management issues.  She currently serves as Programme Manager for Irregular Migration and Counter-Trafficking at IOM’s Regional Office for Southern Africa in Pretoria. Ms. Khokhar’s experience on counter-trafficking includes working with governments to develop and effect policy specific to the issue of trafficking in persons; working directly to assist victims of trafficking; serving as a trainer for government officials, including law enforcement, and civil society to build capacities to address trafficking in persons; research on trafficking; and in creating and disseminating awareness-raising material to inform communities and prevent trafficking.  Ms. Khokhar is a member of Mentor Pakistan and serves on the Advisory Committee of the North South Group for Poverty Reduction, an international non-governmental developmental organization based in Washington DC. In 2005, Ms. Khokhar was awarded the Director General's Award for her "essential contribution to IOM's immediate earthquake response" in Pakistan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington DC in Liberal Studies, with a concentration in Social and Public Policy.   Due to her parents’ diplomatic assignments, she has lived and studied in a number of countries around the world.