ANNUAL POLICY REPORT 2012 as (negative) discrimination related to sex, religious or other beliefs, disability, age, or sexual orientation. 7. ACTIONS AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS. According to the annual report Trafficking in Persons 2012 issued by the US State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Greece belongs among the countries of Tier 2 (countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but they are making significant efforts to do so)165. In the field of statistics, this is illustrated in the arrest of 171 traffickers in 2012, in assistance and protection provided to 39 victims of human trafficking and the conviction at first and second instance courts of 49 traffickers. Actual cases of human trafficking for sexual exploitation are illustrated in an extensive text of a Sunday newspaper magazine, where modern patterns of actions of these criminal networks and the demographic characteristics of the victims in Athens are outlined166. During 2012 in Press there were references to the dismantlement of networks of human trafficking, either sex trafficking or forced labor167. Current national policy actions for the prevention and fight against human trafficking, including measures to identify, protect and assist victims of human trafficking, result from the legislative framework already cited in EMN Annual Policy Report 2011, as amended after the ratification of the UN Convention against International Organized Crime ('Palermo Convention') and its Protocols, esp. the 'Protocol against trafficking in Human Beings' (L. 3875/2010). A noteworthy development linked to the fight against human trafficking for forced labor is the transposition of Directive 2009/52/ΕC through Law 4052/2012 on sactions against employers of illegally staying third country nationals. Directive 2011/36/ΕU 'on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA ' has not yet been transposed in national law. This is the task of the established Law-Making Committee under the responsibility of Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights. Transposing this particular Directive entails inter alia the institutionalization of the informal coordinating role that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has with respect to other responsible Ministries, IOM, and reliable NGOs, fostering thus cooperation and networking with International Organizations, realization of international commitments and the essential extroversion of national actions and policies168. In close cooperation 165 http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2012/index.htm. It is reminded that Greece has signed but not ratified the Convention of the Council of Europe against trafficking in human beings’ (no 197)(2005). 166 VIMagazino (ΒΗΜagazino), 5.2.2012. 167 Kathimerini, 21.11.2012 «Trafficking from travel bureau. Network having captured 41 Romanians and had them work without any payment was dismantled». See also operation PAKOUL. 168 This Directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of trafficking in human beings. It also introduces common provisions, taking into account the gender perspective, to strengthen the prevention of this crime and the protection of the victims thereof. It provides for the establishment of National Rapporteurs or equivalent mechanisms (article 19). 63