Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 12492 | 25 January 2011

Towards a Council of Europe Convention to combat trafficking in organs, tissues and cells of human origin

Signatories: Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Ruhi AÇIKGÖZ, Turkey, EDG ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Artsruni AGHAJANYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Denis BADRÉ, France, ALDE ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Igor CHERNYSHENKO, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Joseph FALZON, Malta, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph FENECH ADAMI, Malta, EPP/CD ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Zbigniew GIRZYŃSKI, Poland, EDG ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Serhiy HOLOVATY, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Jean HUSS, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Francine JOHN-CALAME, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Kateřina KONEČNÁ, Czech Republic, UEL ; Mr Konstantin KOSACHEV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Oleg LEBEDEV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Jean-Paul LECOQ, France, UEL ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Christine MARIN, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Sergey MARKOV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Dick MARTY, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Armen MELIKYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Lluís Maria de PUIG i OLIVE, Spain, SOC ; Mr Amadeu ROSSELL TARRADELLAS, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Mr Ivan SAVVIDI, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Marina SCHUSTER, Germany, ALDE ; Mr Leonid SLUTSKY, Russian Federation, SOC ; Mr Joan TORRES PUIG, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Nikolay TULAEV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Mustafa ÜNAL, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Ms Tatiana VOLOZHINSKAYA, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Dmitry VYATKIN, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway, EDG ; Mr Vladimir ZHIDKIKH, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The report on illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo to be debated during the January 2011 part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly has put the spotlight back on the continuing problem of trafficking in human organs in Europe – and worldwide.

In the report, it is pointed out that trafficking in organs contravenes the most basic standards in terms of human rights and dignity. The report welcomes and concurs with the conclusions of the joint study published in 2009 by the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

This joint study concludes that there is a need for an international legal instrument to be prepared which sets out definitions of human organ, tissue and cell trafficking and measures to prevent such trafficking and to protect the victims, as well as the criminal law measures to punish the crime.

The Assembly thus recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

begin work immediately on the drafting of such a Council of Europe Convention, open to non-member States, and including a strong monitoring mechanism;

enjoin member states which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the two other Council of Europe Conventions related to combating trafficking in human organs, namely:

The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (ETS No. 164) and its Additional Protocol concerning Transplantation of Organs and Tissues of Human Origin (ETS no.186);

The Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197).