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1. Implementation of the employment policy within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government indicating that employment growth decreased slightly in 2004 (-0.5 per cent less than 2003). Unemployment figures were 11.7 per cent for the active population (some 11,650 workers are unemployed). The new Government, formed in 2005, indicates that employment development is the principal aim of its economic policy. It wishes to place its economic policy in a context of sustainable development and concentrate on the development of occupational qualifications and the promotion of permanent jobs. The Committee notes the measures undertaken with the aim of promoting sustainable employment offers for jobseekers already in the labour market and young people entering it. The Committee requests the Government to supply in its next report an assessment of the results obtained through the various labour market policy measures and to indicate the steps taken subsequently. The Government is requested to continue to supply information on the manner in which the employment objectives are taken into account in the adoption of the main general and economic directions and policies. Please also include statistics on the level of, and trends in, the active population, employment, underemployment and unemployment in the various sectors of activity and for the various categories of the population (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

2. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. In reply to the Committee’s previous direct request, the Government indicates that social dialogue on the matters covered by the Convention is conducted through global, thematic tripartite meetings and global tripartite concentration meetings. A steering committee in which the social partners are represented alongside the public authorities was created in December 2004 in the framework of establishing the facility for assisting in the revaluing of the minimum guaranteed inter-professional wage. The Committee also notes that all the draft laws relating to economic and social matters are submitted for opinion to the Economic, Social and Cultural Council in which employers’ and workers’ organizations are represented. The Committee requests the Government to include in its next report information on the results of the tripartite consultations on matters covered by the Convention (Article 3).