A/HRC/25/48 5. Sale of children Illegal adoption 23. Illegal adoption is also an extremely hidden phenomenon. However, a review of the situation of intercountry adoption points to heightened risks of illegal adoption due to the conjunction of various factors. Existing records suggest that there has been an increase in intercountry adoptions worldwide between 2000 and 2004, followed by a significant decrease.10 Demand for adoption has continued to increase, while supply decreases, creating the conditions for abuse, corruption, excessive fees amounting to the sale of children, and the illegal adoption of children.11 24. This phenomenon will require ongoing attention in coming years to ensure that adequate governance frameworks are put in place to prevent and combat illegal adoption. Transfer of organs 25. The sale of organs continues to be a major concern, although there is a dearth of data on the phenomenon and on the extent to which it affects children. Studies on the topic have highlighted that “tourism” for organ transplants has expanded, again facilitated by the development of international travel. People from high-income countries travel to poor areas where people will sell their organs as a survival strategy. Existing research has highlighted that the most vulnerable members of the population are particularly affected by this crime.12 Child marriage 26. Child marriage remains widespread in many countries, despite the adoption of domestic legal frameworks forbidding it. Child marriage is rooted in unequal gender status and power relations in society. In many cases, it can be regarded as a form of sale of children. The requirement to provide a dowry for younger girls can be an incentive for parents to arrange to marry their daughters at an early age. Child marriage can be used as a means to settle family debts or provide economic security to families. 27. In total, some 158 countries have adopted laws prohibiting marriage before the age of 18, although in 146 of them, marriage under the age of 18 can be performed with parental consent. In spite of these measures, early marriage continues to take place worldwide. Although a few countries have made progress, the available data shows that globally, the incidence of early marriage was stable between 2001 and 2010. As many as 61 countries still have a prevalence rate of child marriage of over 20 per cent.13 According to UNICEF data from 2012, one third of women aged 20 to 24 years old — that is, some 70 million women — were married before the age of 18.14 10 11 12 13 14 The African Child Policy Forum, Africa: The New Frontier for Intercountry Adoption (2012). Available from http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/sites/default/files/documents/6524.pdf. ChildONEurope, National experiences on the management of the demand for intercountry adoption (2012). Available from www.childoneurope.org/issues/publications/COE_Management%20demand.pdf. See Yosuke Shimazono, “The state of the international organ trade: a provisional picture based on integration of available information” in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, available from www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/12/06-039370/en/. See also Joint Council of Europe/United Nations Study, Trafficking in organs, tissues and cells and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of the removal of organs (Council of Europe/United Nations, Strasbourg, 2009). United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Marrying too young – End child marriage (2012). Available from http://unfpa.org/endchildmarriage. www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58008.html. 7