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In earlier comments, the Committee noted the lack of any provisions in the national legislation enabling the Convention to be applied to children and young persons exercising an independent activity - employees or apprentices being covered by the provisions on medical examinations of Order No. 17 of 27 May 1969. It asked the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure application of the Convention to this category of children and young persons. In its reports, the Government has stated periodically its intention to take measures to this end. At the same time, the Government stressed that the independent activities of children and young persons are carried on in the informal sector which is outside the control of the labour inspectorate and that applying the Convention to this sector cannot be envisaged until some degree of control is exercised over it.

The Committee notes that at the Conference Committee in June 1995 the Government representative recognized the good reason for the request to extend the medical examination for fitness for employment of children and young persons to all categories of young workers. He stated that the Government was aware of the necessity of this examination for children and young people.

While noting the practical difficulties of extending the medical examination for fitness for employment to children and young persons in the informal sector, raised by the Government in its reports and by the Government representative at the Conference, the Committee recalls that children carrying on an independent activity are covered by the scope of the Convention (Article 1, paragraph 1). The Committee asks the Government to indicate the measures taken to ensure application of the Convention by extending the medical examination to children and young persons exercising an independent activity. It suggests that the Government might envisage the possibility of calling on the ILO for technical assistance.