Costa Rica became the first non-European country to adhere to the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs, also known as Santiago de Compostela Treaty.

This is the first international treaty against this type of crime and represents a big step towards battling trafficking of human organs in the world.

The treaty’s objective is the prevention and penalization of traffic of human organs, the protection of the victims and the promotion of international cooperation to battle this crime. It also offers the opportunity to unchain actions globally through the coordination of national actions and legislation.

“The Convention calls on governments to establish as a criminal offence the illegal removal of human organs from living or deceased donors:

• where the removal is performed without the free, informed and specific consent of the living or deceased donor, or, in the case of the deceased donor, without the removal being authorized under its domestic law;
• where, in exchange for the removal of organs, the living donor, or a third party, receives a financial gain or comparable advantage;
• where in exchange for the removal of organs from a deceased donor, a third party receives a financial gain or comparable advantage.”

The Convention also provides protection measures and compensation for victims as well as prevention measures to ensure transparency and equitable access to transplantation services.

The Costa Rica Minister of Heath, Karen Mayorga, stated her satisfaction on this important step that “closes the doors to criminal practices that risk public and private health”.