Activities
The Council of Europe is implementing targeted co-operation activities on issues related to trafficking in human organs with the purpose of providing national authorities with information about relevant standards, as well as with the tools and the necessary expertise to comply with them. These activities thus provide considerable added value towards efforts of member States and third countries to fight against this phenomenon.
The Committee of the Parties to the Santiago de Compostela Convention was represented at the 6th ELPAT Congress on Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspects of Organ Transplantation, which took place from 9 to 11 October 2025 in Sevilla, Spain.
Held under the theme “New Technologies – Evolving Humanities”, the Congress brought together experts and practitioners to discuss emerging and future challenges in transplant ethics, psychology, and law. Its objective was to provide a platform for
in-depth exchange and to support the development of ethical clinical practices in the field of organ donation and transplantation.
During the event, the Santiago de Compostela Convention was presented, in particular its key provisions, its relevance in addressing the evolving risks associated with organ trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to prevent and combat these serious crimes. Current challenges facing States Parties and other stakeholders, including the detection of illicit practices, legal harmonisation and the protection of vulnerable persons at risk of exploitation, were also addressed.
The participation of the Committee of the Parties helped to raise awareness of the Convention’s added value and fostered dialogue on strengthening global responses to organ trafficking.
