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Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention.  Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the indications provided by the Government in its report supplied in August 2008 in reply to the questions raised in the 2007 direct request. The Government indicates that stability of the macroeconomic framework is considered to be an essential prerequisite for the development of a healthy economy, and that it offers greater visibility to national and international investors by making the Moroccan economy more attractive. Accordingly, the Government reports that this will increase its potential for job creation. The Government also provides information on the positive developments achieved in 2006 by the Moroccan economy, including a decrease in unemployment from 11.5 per cent in 2005 to 9.7 per cent in 2006. The efforts made have had a positive impact on poverty reduction, with the poverty level falling by 6.3 percentage points between 2001 and 2007. The relative poverty rate accordingly fell from 15.3 per cent in 2001 to 9 per cent in 2007. The Committee notes that 1.7 million Moroccans emerged from poverty, and 1.2 million from vulnerability. In 2008, despite the crisis, economic growth reached 5.8 per cent. The Committee hopes that the Government will describe in its next report the monetary, budgetary and trade policies that are contributing “within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy” to the attainment of the objectives of full employment set out in the Convention. It emphasizes in this respect the importance of collaboration between the principal national institutions responsible for the implementation of employment policy, and hopes that the next report will also contain information on the arrangements for cooperation between the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANPEC) and the other ministerial administrative departments participating in the formulation and implementation of measures which have an impact on employment.

The Government indicates that it has established for the period 2006–08 an “Employment–Initiatives”, plan of action with the goal of the integration of 200,000 jobseekers through three active programmes: IDMAJ (Integration), TAEHIL (Qualification) and MOUKAWALATI (My Enterprise). The Committee notes that, between January and the end of May 2008, the “Integration” programme, the aim of which is to enable young persons to develop skills through a first professional experience in enterprises, helped 19,233 young graduates. The “Qualification” programme, which is aimed at improving the employability of jobseekers, helped 23,000 persons. The “My Enterprise” programme is aimed at the creation of enterprises. An impact evaluation of the plan of action is due to be conducted in 2009 by the National Employment Observatory. The Committee invites the Government to provide an evaluation in its next report of the results achieved by the three active programmes of the “Employment–Initiatives” plan of action in terms of the integration of jobseekers. The Government is also invited to supplement its report with data on the evaluation of the implementation of the MOUKAWALATI programme in terms of the number of enterprises created, the economic sectors concerned and the proportion of women and young persons who have benefited, as well as its impact on employment and unemployment.

Women’s employment. The Government indicates in its report that the vocational training system is not characterized by any structural discrimination against girls. No regulations limit or prohibit the access of girls to any type of training, and all the options are now legally open to them. The Government further indicates that it takes measures to eliminate any discrimination against girls in the vocational training system. The Government also provided data on the proportion of women in the various levels of training. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on any active measures taken to increase the participation of women in the labour market, and the impact of any measures adopted in this respect, as well as the employment opportunities available to beneficiaries following training.

Employment promotion in small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government recalls the implementation of measures to encourage and finance the creation of small enterprises, including the Charter for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. In the replies to the questionnaire for the 2010 General Survey on employment, the Government indicates that the promotion of small enterprises is an area that requires particular attention from the public authorities, in view both of the role that these enterprises play in strengthening the national economic fabric and their capacity to adapt to the constraints of competition on the international market. In the framework of the “My Enterprise” programme, by the end of May 2008, over 1,000 small enterprises with 3,320 jobs had been created. The Committee invites the Government to provide more detailed information in its next report on the various forms of financing established for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, the number of beneficiary enterprises and the economic sectors concerned.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners in policy formulation and implementation. The Government indicates in its report that it has established a Higher National Employment Promotion Council and regional and local councils. The Higher National Employment Promotion Council is an advisory body of which the social partners are members. At its first meeting in December 2007, the Council adopted a number of recommendations for the evaluation of employment promotion measures, the formulation of new measures and the strengthening of the role of the social partners. The Committee asks that the Government provide information on the activities of this tripartite body and on the manner in which it is consulted in the formulation and review of employment policies and programmes. Please also indicate the manner in which the views are taken into account of the “representatives of other sectors of the economically active population”, and particularly workers in the rural sector and the informal economy, with a view to obtaining their full cooperation in the formulation of employment policies and their help in securing support for such policies.