At a conference sponsored by the Holy See Mission to the United Nations, the message was clear: ending human trafficking and all forms of modern slavery is within global reach, but the complete abolition of these contemporary scourges remains frustrated by a lack of leadership, cross-border coordination and the commitment of global resources adequate to the task. Many of the panelists at “Ending Human Trafficking by 2030: The Role of Global Partnerships in Eradicating Modern Slavery,” convened at the United Nations in New York on April 7, complimented the Holy See on the leadership the church has shown on combating human trafficking and slavery. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, England, represented the church’s Santa Marta initiative, an alliance of international police chiefs and bishops from around the world. “That there are over 20 million people callously held in modern slavery in our world today is a mark of deep shame on the face of our human family,” he added, imploring the beginning of that effective cooperation to end slavery.

This article appears in April 25 2016.