Organ transplantation is one of the greatest medical success stories of the twentieth century. It has prolonged and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, thanks to generous organ donors, and dedicated scientific and clinical health professionals.

In 2007 it was estimated that up to 10 percent of organ transplantations worldwide involved people who were trafficked, forced, coerced, paid, or incentivized for removal of their vital organs. These organs were used for patients who needed a transplant and travelled to purchase them for transplantation. The donors were vulnerable to exploitation and in many cases suffered permanent health complications because of this unethical practice.

Most patients who travelled to purchase and receive these organs came from wealthy countries. It should be noted that their health outcomes were generally worse than patients who received transplants in their own countries.

The Declaration of Istanbul was developed in response to this urgent situation at a summit meeting held in Istanbul in April 2008. The international assembly of 151 participants included scientific and medical bodies, government officials, social scientists, and ethicists. Their objective was to address the growing problem of human trafficking and tourism for the purpose of organ transplantation. The Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group was created in 2010 to advance the goals established at this meeting and to respond to new challenges in organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

The Declaration of Istanbul was updated in 2018 to reflect the evolving goals of organ donation and transplant professionals. It was determined that everyone in need should benefit from transplant, regardless of where they live, without relying on unethical and exploitive practices. This declaration continues to provide ethical guidance and support for medical professionals, policymakers, professional societies, national health authorities, and inter-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the Council of Europe.

The Declaration of Istanbul has contributed to considerable progress since 2008 to reduce trafficking, commercialism, and tourism for organ transplantation in countries around the world. The DICG is continuing their work to help countries achieve organ donation and transplantation self-sufficiency. Their goals are for countries to:

• meet their own citizens’ needs, and within their own country.
• use organs donated by its residents, or by equitably sharing resources with other countries.
• achieve financial neutrality in organ donation so that donors and their families neither lose nor gain financially because of their donation.

The DICG’s goals continue to evolve to reflect current global needs. You can be part of the solution to end organ trafficking and tourism in transplantation by:

• Reading the Declaration of Istanbul
• Watching our educational videos
• Studying our Resource materials
• Downloading and sharing the patient brochure
• Alert us when you witness or hear of unethical organ transplantation practices