commercial surrogacy

Commercial surrogacy, where a woman is compensated to carry a pregnancy to term for intended parents, is facing increased scrutiny due to a rise in international arrangements. Recent reports highlight concerns that these cross-border surrogacy practices are escalating the risk of babies being born stateless. This is largely because global efforts to regulate surrogacy, such as a proposed convention by The Hague Conference on Private International Law, have stalled due to disagreements among member states. The practice is particularly prevalent in countries like Thailand, where it has been dubbed 'Asia's baby trade,' leading to complex ethical and legal situations. The current relevance lies in the urgent need for international frameworks to protect the rights of all parties involved, especially the surrogate mothers and the children born through these arrangements, to prevent exploitation and ensure legal status.