Strengthening and promoting effective measures and international cooperation
on organ donation and transplantation to prevent and combat trafficking
in persons for the purpose of organ removal and trafficking in human organs
A/RES/73/189
Reaffirming the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime 5 and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime, 6
Recalling the adoption of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat
Trafficking in Persons by the General Assembly in its resolution 64/293 of 30 July
2010, and underlining the importance of its full implementation,
Welcoming the adoption of the political declaration on the implementation of
the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons at the
high-level meeting of the General Assembly held at United Nations Hea dquarters in
New York on 27 and 28 September 2017, 7
Recognizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach, based on respect for all
human rights, to combating trafficking in human organs and trafficking in persons for
the purpose of organ removal,
Taking note with appreciation of the World Health Organization guiding
principles on human cell, tissue and organ transplantation, endorsed by the sixty -third
World Health Assembly in its resolution 63.22 of 21 May 2010, 8
Taking note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council
on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, on the issue of trafficking
in persons for the removal of organs submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty eighth session, 9
Welcoming the joint study by the United Nations and the Council of Europe,
entitled “Trafficking in organs, tissues and cells and trafficking in human beings for
the purpose of the removal of organs”, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime assessment toolkit, entitled “Trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ
removal”, and taking note of the study by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, entitled “Trafficking in persons for the removal of
organs: advancing a human rights approach and engaging human rights mechanisms”,
and the 2018 edition of the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and
Transplant Tourism,
Taking note of the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human
Organs as the first regional legally binding document that provides a list of activities
that constitute trafficking in human organs and includes provisions to prevent and
combat this crime, to protect its victims and to promote cooperation among parties in
the fight against this crime, which usually has a transnational scope,
Affirming that trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal and
trafficking in human organs constitute crimes that violate and impair the enjoyment
of human rights and fundamental freedoms and have strong health implications, and
stressing that it is essential to place the protection of all human rights at the centre of
measures to prevent and end such trafficking,
Recognizing that, although differences exist between the crimes of traffick ing
in human organs and trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal, both
crimes are related to the shortage of human organs available for transplantation and
to social and economic difficulties that make people vulnerable, and that prevention
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5
6
7
8
9
2/6
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2225, No. 39574.
Ibid., vol. 2237, No. 39574.
Resolution 72/1.
See World Health Organization, document WHA63/2010/REC/1.
See A/68/256.
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