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Draft Convention on organ trafficking: the criminal aspects take precedence over prevention

PACE Standing Committee welcomed the draft Council of Europe Convention against trafficking in human organs, but regretted that the text focuses on the criminal aspects rather than on prevention and co-operation.

Adopting a resolution based on the report prepared by Liliane Maury Pasquier (Switzerland, SOC), the Committee welcomed the fact that the draft convention provides for a follow-up mechanism but regrets that at the same time there are no reporting requirements for the Parties.

The draft convention gives the Parties a free hand in deciding whether or not to punish the donors and recipients involved in organ trafficking, the adopted text underlines, but considers also that in view of the vulnerability of these two categories of persons, “the future convention should at least guarantee that the penalties that may be applicable to them are fair and proportionate.”