In a bold move at the UN Human Rights Council, Italy and Chile have spearheaded an initiative to establish a global moratorium on surrogacy, aiming for an eventual worldwide ban on the practice.
The initiative, announced at a session moderated by legal advocacy group ADF International, has garnered support from representatives of Italy, Chile, Cameroon, and the Vatican. The declaration advocates for addressing the human rights concerns surrounding surrogacy.
Opponents of surrogacy highlight the risk of reducing women’s reproductive capabilities to commercial transactions and the early separation of infants from their birth mothers. Concerns are also raised about potential medical risks for surrogate mothers and the possibility of coercion and exploitation.
The declaration also points to potential long-term psychological impacts on children born through surrogacy and legal complications regarding their parentage and nationality.
Italian Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, emphasized the global nature of surrogacy, stating, “Surrogacy is no longer a matter confined to domestic legislation or individual choices. It has become a global phenomenon, increasingly shaped by international markets, cross-border arrangements, and profound inequalities within and between societies.”
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, attended the event and stressed the importance of international cooperation, saying that fragmented national policies could lead to a global market for surrogacy that exploits women and children in vulnerable regions. “This declaration shows that policy action is possible,” she noted.
Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International, highlighted the rapid expansion of surrogacy due to jurisdictional legal loopholes. He remarked, “Today’s declaration marks an important step forward in building the international consensus needed to confront the grave human rights violations and abuses inherent in the practice.”
He further called for global government support in protecting women and children from an industry that profits from their vulnerabilities.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
