Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the UN on HIV/AIDS.

(June 11, 2011) The Holy See addressed the 17th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council three times this week, advocating for traditional families and affirming that it is possible to have a world wherein the situation of women is improved. Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the U.N. offices in Geneva, addressed the session Monday on children's rights. He welcomed a draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, saying it "provides a word of hope and encouragement to those children and young people whose innocence and human dignity have been wounded by the cruelty that can be present in the world of adults." "If all states, U.N. agencies, civil society and faith-based institutions work together in a more effective partnership, they will be able to ensure love, care and assistance to those affected by violence and abuse," he said. "Moreover, they will foster a world where these children can pursue their dreams and aspirations of a future free of violence." The Holy See representative stressed that "the best interests of the child are primarily served in the context of the traditional family."