Human Trafficking Not Confined to Poor Countries

Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations

In an address to the 27th Ordinary Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations, chose slavery as the theme of his address.  While referring to a number of tragic forms of contemporary slavery that have recently attracted the attention of the media and the international community, such as “massive kidnappings and sale of young girls under the false premises of religious teachings as is done, for example, by Boko Haram in Nigeria or by the so-called Islamic State group in northern Iraq,” he indicated there are “other, subtler forms of slavery that deserve specific attention, including the 5.7 million children who are victims of forced and bonded labour, domestic servitude, early, forced and servile marriage … and caste-based forms of slavery, which affect the lives of so many and are not confined to developing and poor countries”.  He went on to say that despite the existence of international conventions to protect against modern forms of slavery greater public will is required to ensure they are effective instruments.  Read more…