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1. The Committee notes the Government's report. As in its previous reports, the Government states that it has undertaken intense activities to promote employment within the framework of a coordinated social policy. The Committee notes that the Government's report does not contain detailed information on employment policy measures as requested in the report form for Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention, nor data on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment. According to the information supplied by PREALC, economic policy has been mainly directed towards the implementation of an adjustment programme to control the public sector deficit and inflation, and progress has been achieved in both respects (inflation, which was around 100 per cent at the beginning of 1989, fell to around 50 per cent at the end of that year). The urban unemployment rate and the level of underemployment rose. Those most affected by unemployment are young persons, for whom the unemployment rate is nearly 20 per cent. The principle instruments of employment policy have been the emergency employment programme and activities to support micro-enterprises.

The Committee refers to the comments that it has been making for a number of years and points out that the preparation of a full report on the application of the Convention may require consultations with the other ministries or government agencies concerned with the implementation of the employment policy. In order to be in a position to be able to examine the manner in which effect is given to the provisions of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to include in its next report information on the size and distribution of the labour force; the nature, extent and trends of unemployment and underemployment; manpower projections; income and poverty; technological change; and the impact on employment of economic and social policy measures (Part VI of the report form).

2. Article 3 of the Convention. In reply to its previous comments, the Government states that it hoped to obtain the collaboration of trade union organisations and employers' organisations in the quest for successful solutions to the crisis and for improvements in the living standards of the population. The Government deplores the fact that the workers' organisations that were called upon rejected social consultations. Employers' organisations only sought consultation in certain circumstances. The Committee is bound to emphasise the importance of the consultation with the representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken. The experience and views of such persons should be taken fully into account, their full cooperation secured in the formulation of the above policy and their support enlisted in its implementation. The Committee hopes that greater efforts will be made in this connection and that in its next report the Government will be in a position to indicate the results achieved in this respect. Please also state whether consultations have been held with representatives of the rural sector and the informal sector.

3. In a direct request, the Committee is raising other issues related to the application of the Convention (activities of the programme to support micro-enterprises and the emergency employment programme; the activities of the National Employment Institute; the impact of the new legislation on the creation of lasting employment).