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

Deborah Castellano Lubov

Human trafficking, which so often goes unnoticed, constitutes a serious violation of human dignity and leaves deep scars on the victims, who are often 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 during the 56th ordinary session of the Human Rights Council on “Point 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons”. , Especially Women and Children Geneva' on June 27, 2024.'

Firm rejection of human trafficking

The Holy See, the text recalls, firmly maintains that “trafficking in human beings must be counted among the serious violations of human dignity.”

The Holy See delegation particularly recalled migrants, stressing that those “who risk their lives at sea, in search of welcome and a better life, should not be faced with exploitation and death.”

On land as at sea, human trafficking, the delegation deplored, often goes unnoticed.

“We must not remain apathetic in the face of this tragic and global scourge”, is the call and demand that “it is time to reject such a culture of indifference, which desensitizes us to these realities and erases the humanity and the inalienable dignity of those who are exploited. »

The poor are more at risk

People living in extreme poverty, the Holy See warned, “are 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 find peace of mind. soul and body, and flourish.

“It is particularly regrettable,” he suggests, that “the lack of international cooperation and the refusal to take responsibility at the local, national and international levels” often contribute to the lack of protection of migrants at sea.

Call to make every effort

“Faced with the harsh reality,” the Holy See appealed, “we are called not to remain paralyzed, but to deploy all our efforts in the fight against trafficking and to affirm the dignity given by God to all victims of trafficking. such human rights violations.

Pressing needs

The weakening of values ​​and relationships, the delegation also deplored, “erodes the social fabric and has deleterious effects on families”.

“There is an urgent need for States not only to adopt laws that effectively combat this attack on the dignity of women, but also, as the Special Rapporteur rightly points out, to provide practical support to victims of prostitution and to address the underlying causes of this violence. “

Supporting victims of prostitution and surrogacy

Catholic religious congregations, he recalls, have long accompanied with courage and compassion people trapped in prostitution systems in different parts of the world and helped them escape from these systems and rebuild their lives.

However, while recognizing the continued and widespread growth of the commodification and exploitation of women and girls, the Holy See called for a concrete response to help victims, “especially given the importance and increasing recourse to surrogacy.