Acta Francisci Pp. 471

enslavement. It is unacceptable that, in our world, slave labour has become

common coin.3 This cannot continue! Human trafficking is a scourge, a

crime against the whole of humanity. It is time to join forces and work

together to free its victims and to eradicate this crime that affects all of

us, from individual families to the worldwide community.4

It is also time to reinforce existing forms of cooperation and to establish

new avenues for expanding solidarity. This calls for: a renewed insistence

on the dignity of every person; a more determined implementation of in-

ternational labour standards; planning for a focused development on the

human person as its central actor and primary beneficiary; a re-evaluation

of the responsibilities of international corporations in the countries where

they operate, including the areas of profit and investment management;

and a concerted effort to encourage governments to facilitate the move-

ment of migrants for the benefit of all, thus eliminating human trafficking

and perilous travel conditions. Effective cooperation in these areas will

be greatly assisted by defining future sustainable development goals. As I

recently expressed to the Secretary General and Chief Executives of the

United Nations: « Future sustainable development goals must therefore be

formulated and carried out with generosity and courage, so that they can

have a real impact on the structural causes of poverty and hunger, attain

more substantial results in protecting the environment, ensure decent work

for all, and provide appropriate protection for the family, which is an es-

sential element in sustainable human and social development ».

Dear Friends, the social teaching of the Catholic Church supports the

initiatives of the ILO which aim to promote the dignity of the human person

and the nobility of human labour. I encourage you in your efforts to face

the challenges of today's world in fidelity to these lofty goals. At the same

time, I invoke God's blessing on all that you do to defend and advance the

dignity of work for the common good of our human family.

From the Vatican, 22 May 2014.

FRANCISCUS PP.

3 Cf. Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 24 September 2013. 4 Cf. Address to the New Ambassadors Accredited to the Holy See, 12 December 2013.