Statement on the occasion of European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation (11 October)
The Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, made the following statement ahead of European Donation Day (11 October):
“Organ, tissue and cell donation gives countless people across Europe a second chance at life. But this act of solidarity is under threat.
Criminal networks are misusing digital platforms to advertise and arrange illicit organ transplants abroad. They exploit donors, endanger recipients, and break the trust that makes legitimate transplantation possible. This must stop.
Transplantation only works when it is transparent, ethical, and respects human rights. That means free and informed consent. No financial gain. The Council of Europe is committed to standards that protect human rights and dignity. These are clear principles, set out in the conventions of the Council of Europe and the guiding principles of the World Health Organization.
On this European Donation Day, I call on governments to act. States that have not yet joined the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs should do so now. All must strengthen their efforts to prevent this crime and prosecute those behind it. Only coordinated national and international action can protect the health and dignity of donors and recipients, and preserve the trust that keeps our healthcare systems strong.
And I call on citizens, too. Consider what donation can mean. Each decision to donate has the power to save and transform a life. But only if people can trust the system to be safe and fair.
Donation is solidarity in action. Trafficking is its negation. The choice before us is clear.”
