The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem called for a global ban on surrogacy, warning that the practice inflicts “large-scale violence, abuse, and exploitation on women and children.” 

Alsalem made the remarks at a UN General Assembly side event hosted by the Government of Italy, ahead of the formal presentation of her latest report to the Assembly on Oct. 10.

In her report, Alsalem urges member states to adopt a legally binding international treaty prohibiting all forms of surrogacy. She calls for criminalizing the commissioning of children, banning surrogacy advertisements, and providing legal and psychosocial support to women already involved in surrogacy arrangements. The report also calls for stronger protections for children’s rights to identity, care, and safety.

“Surrogacy is clearly responsible for inflicting large-scale violence, abuse, and exploitation on women and children,” Alsalem said.

Italy, which in 2024 became the first country to ban surrogacy both domestically and abroad, hosted the event amid growing international momentum to outlaw the practice. Slovakia followed suit last month by passing a constitutional amendment banning surrogacy.

“Surrogacy should not be prohibited only domestically, but also addressed internationally,” said Eugenia Rocella, Italy’s minister for family, natality, and equal opportunities. “Existing international treaties on the protection of women’s and children’s rights should be updated to explicitly include surrogacy as a practice that undermines dignity and entails exploitation.”

According to Alsalem’s report, surrogacy intentionally separates children from their mothers, disrupting natural maternal bonds and violating children’s rights to identity and care. Even so-called “altruistic” arrangements, the report says, harm women and children by commodifying human life.

“An inherent concern in surrogacy lies in the contractual programming of separation between a woman and the child she carries,” the report states. “These risks treating the child as a passive object of an agreement between adults or as a commodity.”

ADF International, a faith-based legal advocacy organization that participated in the event, welcomed the report as a milestone in the global effort to end surrogacy.

“Surrogacy rests on a system of violence that dehumanizes women and children alike,” said Giorgio Mazzoli, ADF International’s director of UN advocacy. “States must develop a coordinated international response to end the grave human rights violations inherent in this practice.”

The organization joined more than 180 NGOs in signing a civil society letter supporting the Special Rapporteur’s report and calling for a worldwide ban.

The report describes the global surrogacy industry as a rapidly expanding market valued at $14.4 billion in 2023, with projections to reach $96.6 billion by 2033. Most profits, Alsalem said, go to agencies and brokers, while surrogate mothers face significant physical, emotional, and financial risks.

Women involved in surrogacy experience higher rates of pregnancy complications, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many face coercion, exploitation, and invasive medical procedures, even in so-called altruistic arrangements that separate mothers from their children, the report says.

ADF International stated it remains committed to “protecting the dignity of human life” and advocating for legal protections to end surrogacy and prevent the commodification of women and children.