A recent conference concluded that breaking up the trade in human beings requires a concerted global effort by all segments of society, writes Reem Leila Trafficking in human beings is the third largest growing criminal activity in the world, just behind arms and the drug trade. It is estimated that 2.5 million people are trafficked across international borders every year, the majority being young women and children for sexual exploitation. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), forced labour of trafficked persons raises profits of $32 billion a year, including $28 billion from the sexual exploitation of women and children -- half of which is in industrialised countries. ILO reveals the shocking statistic that one person is being trafficked for sexual exploitation every three seconds. The most vulnerable victims are poor children and women, mostly in developing countries, who are brought into this illegal traffic through force, deception and violence. Illegal trafficking has been exacerbated by globalisation, including the use of the Internet, and brings in huge and quick benefits. Annually, millions of people are trafficked across international borders; millions more are enslaved in their own countries. The common denominator of trafficking scenarios is the use of force, fraud or coercion to exploit a person for commercial sex or for the purpose of subjecting a victim to involuntary servitude, debt bondage or forced labour. Ending trafficking in human beings is more than a human rights objective, it is a matter of global security. And thus, it was the main topic on the agenda of a three-day conference held on 13 February in Vienna, which is the second stage of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UNGIFT). Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, chairman of the Suzanne Mubarak International Movement for Women and Peace (SMIMWP), inaugurated the gathering and asserted that the activities of governments and NGOs in curbing human trafficking could be enhanced immeasurably by pressure from the business world. As a global problem, human trafficking demands global solutions, and requires all sectors in society to work together to end it. Mrs Mubarak stated that this is the beginning of a long journey where the community must join the global effort in eliminating this blight, by saying no to human trafficking. Zero tolerance can be achieved by formulating an anti-trafficking policy which is implemented in all corporate activities and strategy, as well as rallying other business partners and suppliers to this cause, she said. The chairman of SMIMWP also advised against engaging in businesses which are built on profits at any cost, but rather ones that rely on social responsibility. According to Mushira Khattab, secretary- general of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), 161 countries are reported to be affected by this trade and while the majority of victims are between the ages of 18 and 24, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Some 3,000 to 5,000 women have been smuggled to countries lying on Egypt's eastern borders through the Sinai Desert to work as prostitutes. Khattab explained that Egypt is a transit stop and destination country for women trafficked from Eastern Europe to Israel and some Gulf countries for the purpose of sexual exploitation. These women generally arrive in Egypt through air and seaports as tourists, and are subsequently trafficked through the Sinai Desert by Bedouin tribes. In addition, some Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked within the country to work as domestic servants or labourers in the agriculture industry. Iman Bibars of the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women (ADEW), believes that although the government of Egypt is making a significant effort to comply with the minimum standards of elimination of trafficking, it still has a long way to go. While the government has failed to conduct an assessment of the trafficking situation or draft a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, in 2005 it improved training for border security officials to prevent smuggling and trafficking. It also incorporated innovative tools to intercept traffickers as they travel through the Sinai Desert, Bibars stated. But Egypt has done little else over the past few years, she added. "The best way of addressing the demand side of trafficking human beings is to demolish the markets generating profits to the criminals," noted Bibars. "This would require identification of traffickers in order to be able to investigate trafficking cases, and prosecute and convict offenders." Unfortunately, she added, relatively few cases are prosecuted successfully resulting in a very small number of convictions. Although Khattab partially agreed with Bibars's claims, she countered that while the government does not have a systematic mechanism to connect trafficking victims with organisations providing assistance, it does generally provide food, healthcare, and lodging to some victims on an ad hoc basis. This is to ensure that trafficking victims are not detained with illegal migrants or deported without receiving victim assistance. Khattab believes that the government made a concerted effort to increase security in Sinai, especially with regard to alleged illegal activities by Sinai Bedouin tribes, which include trafficking of persons. Border officials participated in training aimed to improve their skills in interdicting traffickers. Egypt has also increased scrutiny at major airports to prevent traffickers from entering the country, noted Khattab.
