I recently attended a meeting of experts  on protecting the rights of children in surrogacy arrangements in Zurich, Switzerland. This group of experts, convened by ISS, is drafting a set of international principles for the protection of human rights, particularly the rights of the child, in the context of surrogacy.

In the absence of any internationally agreed framework governing surrogacy, the draft of principles provide guidance on protecting children in surrogacy arrangements. These principles are based on regional and international human rights law standards and established in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The principles also provide practical guidance for how children's rights in surrogacy can be upheld and bring focus to the challenges that may arise for children's rights in surrogacy arrangements. Most importantly, the principles focus on the state obligation to prohibit and provide safeguards to prevent the sale of children in the context of surrogacy.

Over the coming year, a number of regional consultations will further develop the principles. ISS-USA will work in tandem to generate awareness about these issues in the U.S. as the principles continue to be developed.

As always, thank you for supporting our work. We look forward to sharing our progress on these principles with you over the next few months.