Judges Summit on Human Trafficking

Pope Francis Addresses Summit

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences held a two day conference on Human Trafficking and Organized Crime. the conference was attended by judges and prosecutors from around the world. In addressing the conference Pope Francis urged the participants “to fulfill their vocation and their crucial mission — to establish justice — without which there is neither order nor sustainable and integral development, nor social peace”. Pope Francis went on to say that the reason for the Judges’ Summit was to help fulfill Goal 8.7 of the United Nations’ new sustainable Development Goals, that is, to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking. Turning to the needs of victims, he said “Judges today are called more than ever to focus on the needs of victims. The victims are the first who need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society — and their traffickers and executioners must be given no quarter and pursued.” The Pope’s full address to the conference can be found here.

(Photo: Radio Vatican – Pope Francis, flanked by Monsignor Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, signs a declaration during a two-day summit of judges and magistrates against human trafficking and organized crime at the Vatican)