Holy See urges practical,
effective action against human trafficking, slavery
 |
| Human Trafficking. |
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s Permanent
Observer to the United Nations in New York on Nov. 9 addressed a conference on
“Practical Solutions to Eradicate Human Trafficking”.
By Robin Gomes
The Holy See and the Catholic Church are deeply committed in
the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, both in tackling the
drivers that fuel the scourge and in reaching out to victims.
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s
Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York made the statement on Nov.
9 at a conference at the UN on “Practical Solutions to Eradicate Human
Trafficking”.
Crime still growing
The Holy See diplomat noted that despite substantial
progress against human trafficking through various initiatives, the number of
those enslaved for sexual exploitation, forced labour or organ
harvesting sadly continues to skyrocket.
As the world is about to mark the 70th anniversary
of the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec.
10, he noted that more than 40 million today are
ensnared by various forms of so-called modern slavery.
According to Pope Francis, the gap between our
commitments and efforts and the horrors confronting victims of this “atrocious
scourge,” “crime against humanity,” and “ open wound on the body of
contemporary society,” is increasing, not closing.
Hence “solemn commitments” alone will not help, but we must
ensure they are “truly effective”.
4 Ps
In this regard, Archbishop Auza pointed to the 4 objectives,
or the 4 Ps of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in
Persons: preventing human trafficking
by addressing its causes; protecting and assisting victims;
prosecuting criminals; and promoting partnerships among
institutions and civil society.
Effective action
Among the drivers that make people vulnerable to human
trafficking, the Filipino archbishop said, armed conflicts and
the refugee crisis have particularly exacerbated the dramatic
situation of people, especially women and children.
We must become far more practical, even ruthless, in
addressing not just the evil fruit but also the roots of the problem, he said.
Church’s commitment
Catholic women’s religious communities in many countries,
Archbishop Auza said, have been among the practical leaders on the ground in
this most important work.
He mentioned Church initiatives such as the Santa
Marta Group, an international alliance of police chiefs and bishops
economic realities, and Talitha Kum, an international network of 22
institutes of Catholic religious sisters across 70 countries on five
continents, in big cities and the most rural areas.
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