The problem
Unethical organ transplantation is a global phenomenon that is rising as global demand for organs exceeds availability. The practice of removing organs from living or deceased persons without their voluntary, free, and informed consent may constitute individual criminal activity, as part of organ-trafficking crimes, or under state-sanctioned regimes as part of widespread or systematic persecutory conduct. Medical entities and transplant professionals are at risk of prosecution to the extent that they are complicit in these crimes. ETAC, an international human rights charity, engaged BHRC in 2022 to explore the business and human rights obligations and complicity risks for medical professionals in the field of organ transplantation.
How we tackled this
BHRC prepared a Legal Advisory Report and Policy Guidance exploring the risks of international collaborations in transplant medicine, research and training and the hard and soft law obligations that govern those partnerships. It highlighted high risk countries such as China and provides practical advice for mitigating risks and outlines circumstances where disengagement may be required. The Advisory includes information relevant to a range of stakeholders including hospitals, universities, professional societies, medical journals, independent professional bodies, medical schools and associated medical professionals in the field of organ transplantation. It will also be of interest to lawyers, ethicists, think tanks and policy makers.
Results
Following the launch of the report, a number of medical journals and international organisations requested individual briefings on the findings of the report and the implications for the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry.
GRC’s Advisory was cited in the following media and academic articles:
- Mirror EXCLUSIVE: 'I survived a labour detention camp where prisoners had their organs harvested'
- Organ trafficking: Britons no longer able to purchase an organ outside UK
- Report reveals western complicity in China’s ‘kill to order’ organ trade
- I was a surgeon in China – I was forced to cut open and steal organs out of LIVE patient as he writhed in agony
- Is British science aiding and abetting the Chinese human organ trade?
- Sever links with organ traffickers, medics urged
- Trafficking danger for transplant professionals: report
- Report urges crackdown on China’s ‘kill to order’ organ harvesting trade
- Forced Organ Harvesting — Expanding the Dead Donor Rule
GRC’s Advisory was cited in the following reports:
GRC’s Advisory was cited in the following events and speeches:
Engaging the team has been a game changer. Communication from the outset was friendly and professional and great care was taken to ensure that the scope of work proposed met our needs. The resulting Legal Advisory Report and Policy Guidance documents exceeded our expectations.”
Susie Hughes, Executive Director, Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China
