The Committee of Experts on Access to Origins (CJ-OR) held its fourth meeting in Strasbourg from 27 to 29 October 2026. It continued its work on a draft recommendation concerning the rights of donor-conceived people to know their origins.

The right to know one’s origins is increasingly recognised as connected to identity and personal development. It is reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, which has recognised it as part of the right to respect for private life. It encompasses access to information about one’s roots, the circumstances of one’s birth and certainty about one's parenthood.

The Committee has another year to finalise the draft, following the Committee of Ministers’ decision to extend its mandate until the end of 2027.