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1. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s most recent report and its response to the Committee’s comments.

2. Article 18 of the Convention. Mutual recognition of arrangements made in their respective countries for testing, examining and annealing, and of certificates and records relating thereto. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that reciprocal arrangements have not yet been established with other member States on the subject matter referred to in this Article. With reference to comments made by the Committee since 1996, the Committee urges the Government to take appropriate steps in order to enter into reciprocal arrangements on the basis of this Convention with the other Members for this purpose and to provide information on the effect given in practice to this Article of the Convention.

3. Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government that a team of inspectors specifically dedicated to verifying the working conditions in ports has been formed and that efforts were being made to develop a comprehensive system of statistics related to labour inspections. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of the results of these efforts and all relevant developments in respect of the application in practice of this Convention.

4. The Committee takes the opportunity to recall that the Governing Body of the ILO has invited parties to Convention No. 32 to consider ratification of Convention No. 152, which revised Convention No. 32 (GB.268/LILS/5(Rev.1)), paragraphs 99–101). Such ratification would automatically entail an immediate denunciation of Convention No. 32. The Committee also wishes to bring to the Government’s attention an ILO code of practice in this area, Safety and health in ports, Geneva, 2005. This code of practice is available, inter alia, through the ILO’s web site by following the link, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/
protection/safework/cops/english/index.htm. The Government is requested to keep the Committee informed of any developments in this respect.