Legal Responses to Organ Trafficking: Evaluating the Role of International Convention and Domestic Laws

Organ trafficking is a crime that is an example of the most scandalous types of transnational organized crime that mixes with human trafficking, poverty and systemic inequality. Even though there are a number of international protocols and domestic law systems to fight this illegal business, the continued proliferation and expansion of organ trafficking rings show that there are major loopholes in the enforcement and cooperation. The article critically assesses efficacy of international legal tools, including the Palermo Protocol and the Declaration of Istanbul and the guidelines of the World Health Organization as well as the domestic legislations of such countries as India, the United States, and the European Union. It analyses the difficulties created by regulations, poor regulatory structures, corruption and socio-economic imbalances that facilitate the practice of organ trade. The research paper posits that legal frameworks are present in theory, but not in practice. It ends by proposing to increase international collaboration, streamline legislations and victim-based strategies in order to deal with the international menace of organ trafficking.