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Further to its observation, the Committee, noting that the Government's report contains no information in reply to its previous direct request, wishes to make the following comments:

1. The Committee notes that the Law of the Russian Federation Amending and Supplementing the Labour Code, dated 25 September 1992, supplements section 16 of the Code to provide that distinctions, exclusions, preferences and restrictions in employment which are appropriate to the conditions of certain work or which correspond to the particular needs of the State to take measures for persons requiring greater legal and social protection are not considered to constitute discrimination. It would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the meaning of the exception concerning measures that would be appropriate to the conditions of work and the types of measures that would be covered by this exception.

2. Noting the enabling provisions for supervisory authorities and liability for breach of employment legislation, set out in sections 41 to 44 in the Basic Principles Law on Population Employment, as modified by Decree No. 3306-1 of 15 July 1992, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the manner in which the application of the legislation is supervised and enforced, including any sanctions that may be imposed.

3. The Committee refers to its previous comments concerning Decree No. 531 of 26 July 1973 of the USSR Council of Ministers and Order No. 153 of 5 March 1987 and hopes that the next report of the Government will be able to report that measures have been taken to bring these texts into full conformity with the provisions of the Convention.

4. (i) With reference to the parliamentary hearings held on the practical implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the adoption of a decision aimed at ensuring equality of employment and occupational opportunity, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to implement the above decision including the collection and publication of statistics which would ensure a fair analysis of the position of women in employment and to supply copies of such statistics with its next report. It further requests the Government to supply information on the relative proportion of men and women at various levels of responsibility in different sectors of activity.

(ii) The Committee recalls that an official programme to improve the situation of women and families with a view to eliminating inequalities between male and female workers with family responsibilities was under study. It would be grateful if the Government would indicate the results of this study and whether such a programme has been established.

(iii) The Committee must reiterate its request to provide information on the policies, programmes or any other measures taken to prevent discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in employment and occupation and on the results obtained in respect of access to vocational training and retraining, access to and security of employment, and terms and conditions of employment, particularly in light of the adjustments taking place in the economy of the Russian Federation.

5. The Committee once again reiterates its request for information on the policies and programmes currently being pursued to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation irrespective of race, religion or national extraction.

6. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on any other measures taken, or contemplated, particularly within the framework of the new Federation and the reforms in the country's institutions and economic system, which directly or indirectly affect equality of opportunity and treatment in employment as provided for in the Convention and any measures that have been taken by the republics (territories) in this regard.