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1. The Committee notes with regret that a government report has not been received since November 1996. It observes that by resolution No. 666 of 19 June 2002 the Supreme Council (Majlisi Oli) approved the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and asked the Government to implement it. In this paper, it is reported that unemployment affects around one-third of the labour force and that rising unemployment figures have contributed to the increase in poverty. The Government intends to encourage an accelerated, socially fair and labour-intensive economic growth with emphasis on export, efficient and fair provisions of basic social services and targeted support to the poorest groups of the population, with the goal of attaining an employment rate of 59 per cent by 2006 (56 per cent in 2001). The Committee notes that to create employment opportunities, the Government intends to focus on three areas, apart from promoting agricultural development: creating a favourable environment for private enterprise, including in the informal economy; ensuring a well-functioning labour market; and privatization of state enterprises. Labour market policies will aim at creating a more flexible labour market through training and retraining of workers, employment counselling and providing help in seeking jobs. Central to the Government’s success in reducing poverty will be the growth in private sector output and creating jobs. Removing obstacles to the emergence of small and medium-sized enterprises and to activity in the informal economy, and generally creating a positive environment for private initiative, will be a central element in the fight against poverty.

2. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate in its next report whether any particular difficulties have been encountered in achieving the employment objectives established, as part of a coordinated economic and social policy, in consultation with representatives of those concerned, in accordance with Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. It also recalls the relevance of other Conventions ratified by Tajikistan, in particular the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), the Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159), whose full application will certainly contribute to the attainment of the objectives of employment creation established by the PRSP. With regard to employment creation by the private sector, the Government could also refer to the Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189).

3. Article 3. The Committee points out that this important provision of the Convention requires the involvement in consultations of government authorities and of representatives of the persons affected by the employment policy measures to be taken. The aim of the consultations is to take fully into account their experience and views and secure their full cooperation in formulating and implementing the employment policy. Representatives of the persons affected must include representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations and also representatives of sectors of the economically active population such as the rural sector and the informal economy. The Committee would appreciate receiving in the next report information on the consultations held with representatives of the persons affected in the implementation of the PRSP, and in particular with representatives of the rural sector and the informal economy on the matters covered by the Convention.

4. Finally, the Committee recalls that in its direct request of 1997, it asked the Government to report on:

-  progress in making available as precise as possible an assessment of the situation of and trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment;

-  measures taken to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment, citing specific examples of policies and programmes;

-  information on how such policies and programmes are kept under review within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, pursuant to the law on the employment of the population of 27 December 1993;

-  the impact of the budgetary and monetary policies implemented in agreement with the International Monetary Fund;

-  the functioning of the public employment service.

5. The preparation of a detailed report, including the indications asked in this observation, will certainly provide the Government and social partners with an opportunity to evaluate progress towards the achievement of the objectives of full and productive employment of the Convention. The Committee points out that the assistance of the Office is available to the Government to assist it in meeting the reporting obligations and for the technical implementation of an active employment policy within the meaning of the Convention.