More countries are taking action to discourage the annual trafficking of as many as 800,000 humans across international borders, according to the State Department’s 2006 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, released in Washington Monday.

The report found that nearly 5,000 individuals were convicted of trafficking offences worldwide over the past year — up from around 3,000 convictions the previous year — and that 41 governments passed new anti-trafficking legislation. The report, which this year covered a record 149 countries, accused 12 nations of doing virtually nothing to stop trafficking, and thus deserving of “Tier 3” status. Among those accused are Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Others cited in the worst category included Belize, Laos and Saudi Arabia.

The Venezuelan Embassy in US swiftly released a statement charging that its Tier 3 designation was “politically motivated, part of a larger campaign to discredit the actions and efforts of President Hugo Chavez and his government”.

Another 32 countries were placed on the “Tier 2 Watch List”, among them were several major powers, such as Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Israel. Watch List countries, according to the report’s classification system, include those where the number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or significantly increasing; or that governments have failed to step up efforts to halt those abuses.

Best performers, according to the report included 26 countries, consisted almost entirely of wealthy members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as Colombia, Morocco, and the only African nation on the list, Malawi, which was hailed for prosecuting traffickers and public education efforts. Minimum standards for assessing a government’s performance and classification include a ban on severe forms of trafficking, prosecution of traffickers, and penalties designed to deter others from committing similar crimes. The State Department also considers the degree to which victims receive aid and protection from the state.

The State Department also expressed concern that Germany, while getting high ratings for its efforts to combat trafficking, has legalised prostitution and could see an upsurge in sexual exploitation during the World Cup next week.

According to the 2004 TIP, about 80 per cent of the 600,000-800,000 annual trans-border trafficking victims are female, and one-half are children. About 70 per cent of all female victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Transnational human trafficking generates nearly $10 billion in annual revenue worldwide, according to the FBI.

At the same time, slavery or forced labour within countries is a much bigger problem, according to the report. The ILO estimates that 12.3 million people are victims of forced labour, bonded labour, and sexual servitude at any given time.

“Defeating human trafficking is a great moral calling of our time,” said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as she introduced the report. “Under President Bush’s leadership, the US is leading a new abolitionist movement to end the sordid trade in human beings.” Washington, she said, has spent nearly $400 million to support global anti-trafficking efforts. — IPS