Vatican City, Dec 5, 2005 / 22:00 pm
In an address given today to members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, stressed the need for universal religious freedom and new, concrete measures to combat human suffering.
Foreign ministers from 55 member states were on hand for the 13th meeting of the OSCE, currently being held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Archbishop Lajolo began address by stressing the common goal of participating states, namely: "the consolidation of peace by a simultaneous achievement of security, stability, development and respect for human rights."
"The Holy See”, he continued, “considers its distinctive duty to insist on the continuing central importance of religious freedom for peaceful coexistence and for respect between different cultures in today's multi-ethnic and multicultural societies."
The Archbishop assured listeners that the Holy See greatly appreciates "the intention of the participating States to give closer attention to the scourge of human trafficking, and supports the will to adopt a victim-centered approach."
"As regards the question of migration," he said, "the OSCE can offer a valuable contribution so that the policies of participating States keep in mind the unity of the human family, and of the family of each migrant, and offer guarantees of prosperity with respect for all."
The Vatican secretary concluded his address by pointing out that, "in the areas of human trafficking and migration, concrete measures of assistance are needed to alleviate the suffering of many women and men, and to re-establish respect for their human dignity."