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1. Consultation with the social partners and organizations for persons with disabilities. In relation with its 2004 direct request, the Committee notes the observations formulated by the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) and the reply of the Government received in October 2005. The MCTU claimed that it had not been consulted on the draft disability policy. In its reply, the Government indicates that the MCTU was duly represented in the consultative process regarding the drafting of the disability policy. The Committee notes the communication of the Malawi Council for the Handicapped of September 2005, forwarded with the Government’s report, as well as the list of participants to the consultative workshop on the National Disability Policy. It asks the Government to keep it informed of consultations held with the social partners engaged in vocational rehabilitation activities for workers with disabilities (Article 5 of the Convention).

2. Measures taken to develop vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities. The Committee noted in its previous direct request that the Ministry of Social Development and Persons with Disabilities had launched a pilot project with the assistance of the Norwegian Association of the Disabled (NAD). The Government reported that ten students with disabilities were being trained at Soche Technical College and that the number of trained students would be raised to 40 in 2005. In its last communication, the Government also reports that 120 staff members are receiving community-based skill training in Blantyre and Machinga. The Committee asks the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken under the national policy for vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities including, for example, statistics, extracts of reports, studies or inquiries showing the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice (Part V of the report form).

3. Training of staff responsible for vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the Government was seeking assistance from the Office in order to introduce special training (Article 9). It would appreciate receiving in the Government’s next report information on measures taken to ensure the availability of suitably qualified staff for the persons concerned and on any assistance received from the Office in their field.