HOLY SEE TO THE OSCE: MAINTAIN THE CALL OF HELSINKI

VATICAN CITY, SEP 11, 2002 (VIS) - Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, head of the delegation of the Holy See at the annual meeting of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), delivered a speech on September 9 upon the opening of the work sessions. The meeting is taking place in Warsaw, Poland and is dedicated this year to the analysis of the implementation of the commitments assumed by 55 participating states regarding the so-called 'human mission' of the OSCE.

The prelate began his talk by recalling the Declaration of Human Rights of Helsinki and affirmed that it was necessary to "keep alive the 'flame of the torch'" lit on that occasion. For this reason, he continued, it is necessary "to implement the commitments assumed, and to act in a manner consistent with them, even when responding to the threat of terrorism."

"Without a functioning rule of law there is no possibility of effectively addressing the scourge of terrorism. At the same time, if special measures are required, these should not be potential factors of change for the quality and nature of the democratic and judiciary systems. In other words, it should be avoided the risk of undermining the very basis of democracy and the rule of law even with the reason of coming to its defense."

Referring to the defense of religious freedom, the Holy See delegate asserted that "no civil law or religious communities may therefore be used to limit the activities, which are expressions of the religious freedom of those communities and of their individual members." He went on to underline that "member states of the OSCE should therefore reject any pressure possibly exercised in the context of their jurisdiction by whatever religious confession ... which might damage the expressions of religious freedom of other religious communities."

Another of the topics brought up by the prelate was human trafficking, "which has been defined," he said, "as the slavery of the 21st century. It is necessary for us all to confront the uncomfortable fact that so far States have not succeeded in eliminating this trade. ... This makes it especially important not to give in to any demagogy which would hamper the determination of new remedies and the implementation of the existing ones."

Lastly, Msgr. Balestrero spoke about immigration and observed that its regulation, through projects respectful of immigrants as well as the host population, would benefit everyone, that always "the right and fundamental freedoms of all parties involved should obviously be guaranteed."

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