On September 27, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and Head of Delegation to the General Debate of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, gave a statement during Interactive Panel Discussion 2 of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The Panel Discussion was dedicated to addressing the theme of “The Global Plan of Action and effective partnerships for the protection of and assistance to victims, including through the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, also taking into consideration the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”

In his statement, Archbishop Gallagher said that the Political Declaration on the Implementation of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons calls for compassion for survivors and appropriate care for their recovery and rehabilitation, especially by establishing partnerships with faith-based organizations and other relevant partners. He specifically highlighted the work of the Catholic Church in fostering such partnerships, from Vatican-hosted interreligious conferences, to networks of women religious like Talitha Cum and RENATE, to the Santa Marta Group.

His statement can be found here.