A delegation of Santa Marta Group led by H.E. Mgr. William Kenney CP at the European Parliament together with COMECE General Secretary Fr. Barrios Prieto and various MEPs. (Photo: A. Agardi/EPP)
On Wednesday, 10 May 2023, COMECE facilitated a series of dialogue meetings between a delegation of the Santa Marta Group and members of the European Parliament. The discussions addressed ways to enhance the fight against trafficking in human beings.
The delegation of the Group was led by H.E. Mgr. William Kenney CP, who presented the strategic plan of the Santa Marta Group to a number of MEPs of different political groups at the European Parliament, as well as to the EPP Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue Group, chaired by MEPs Hölvényi and Olbrycht.
The Santa Marta Group is an alliance of law enforcement officials, businessmen, entrepreneurs, politicians and other members of civil society, together with Catholic Bishops from around the world, launched in 2014 by Pope Francis to join forces in the fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. The Group is presided by H. Em. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.
The fight against human trafficking has been a priority of COMECE over the years. Among the initiatives in this field, features our contribution to the public consultation on human trafficking launched by the European Commission in 2022. The consultation is available here.
Currently, COMECE is following the proposal of amendment of the anti-trafficking directive, which was published in December 2022.