On December 20, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Security Council Open Debate dedicated to “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Trafficking in persons in conflict situations.”   

In his statement, Archbishop Auza emphasized that people of good will can never allow the barbaric and shameful practice of objectifying, deceiving, violating and selling women, children and men for profit and that those who commit such crimes must experience the full force of the law. Pope Francis has made the fight against trafficking in persons and other forms of modern slavery a high priority. The Holy See noted that poverty, underdevelopment, exclusion, lack of access to education and employment, narcotics trafficking, the arms trade, and child prostitution abet human trafficking, but the single biggest factor is war and armed conflict. To fight human trafficking effectively, the international community must unite in common commitment and the Security Council must assist through preventing and ending armed conflicts.

The statement can be found here.