The Vatican has called for laws to punish clients of prostitutes and protect women from what it called a "modern form of slavery."
The Vatican's office for migrants and itinerants issued the recommendations in a final communiqué that stemmed from a two-day symposium on prostitution and human trafficking it hosted in June.
In the document released on Monday, the Vatican called for the clients of prostitutes to be punished, since they fuel the industry.
"The client must receive more than just a social condemnation and confront the full rigor of the law," the communiqué said. It added though that people who solicit prostitutes also need help to resolve the "profound" problems that compel them to pay for sex.
In addition, women forced into prostitution must be protected by the law because they are victims of violence and exploitation and have had their fundamental human rights violated, it said.
"Prostitution is a modern form of slavery," it said, adding that prostitution and human trafficking were both acts of violence against women.
Bishops conferences should create special programs for pastoral workers to deal with prostitutes and victims of human trafficking, it said.
During the symposium, which brought together several dozen religious and lay people, the issue of providing condoms to prostitutes to protect them from AIDS was raised.
However, there was no mention of the issue in the communiqué.
The Vatican opposes artificial contraception.
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