Holy See calls for global action against trafficking of women and girls

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Human trafficking, which so often goes unseen, is a grave violation of human dignity and creates deep scars in the victims, who frequently are women and children...

This was reaffirmed in the statement of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva at the 56th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council on 'Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children Geneva' on 27 June 2024.'

Firm rejection of human trafficking

The Holy See, the text reiterated, firmly holds that "human trafficking must be counted among the grave violations of human dignity."

In a special way, the Holy See delegation remembered migrants, underscoring that those "who risk their lives at sea, looking for welcome and a better life, should not be confronted with exploitation and death instead."

On land and at sea, human trafficking in persons, the delegation decried, often goes unseen.

"We must not remain apathetic in the face of this tragic and global scourge," is the appeal and the request that "It is time to reject such a culture of indifference, which desensitizes us to these realities and effaces the humanity and inalienable dignity of those who are exploited."

Poor more at risk

Persons living in extreme poverty, the Holy See warned, "are the most likely to fall into the trap of human trafficking and slavery; it is, therefore, our collective responsibility to help them find a safe place where they can rediscover peace of mind, soul and body, and flourish."

"It is particularly regrettable," it suggested, that "a lack of international cooperation and of an unwillingness to accept one's responsibility at the local, national and international levels" often contribute to a lack of protection for migrants at sea.

Appeal to deploy all efforts

"In the face of the dire reality," the Holy See appealed, "we are called not to remain paralyzed, but to deploy all of our efforts in the battle to prevent trafficking and to affirm the God-given dignity of all the victims of such human rights violations."

Pressing needs

Weakening values and relationships, the delegation also lamented, "erodes the social fabric and has deleterious effects on families."

"There is a pressing need for States not only to pass laws which effectively combat this offence to women’s dignity but also, as the Special Rapporteur rightly points out, to provide practical support for victims of prostitution and to address the underlying causes of such violence."

Supporting victims of prostitution and surrogacy

Catholic Religious Congregations, it recalled, have a long history of courageously and compassionately accompanying those trapped in prostitution systems in different parts of the world and supporting them to exit these systems and rebuild their lives.

However, as the Holy See acknowledged the continued and widespread growth in the commodification and exploitation of women and girls, it called for a concrete response to help victims, "especially given the increasing prominence and use of surrogacy."