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1. The Committee notes with interest that under section 6 of the new Labour Code (Act No. 92-020 of 23 September 1992) forced or compulsory labour is absolutely prohibited and that the term "forced labour" does not include work decided upon by a local community as a whole involving tasks which are of direct interest to the community, provided that the population itself or its direct representatives have decided that such work is necessary (6, 4). The Committee also notes that the term "compulsory labour" does not include work required in the public interest by legislative provisions on the organization of defence, the creation of a national service or participation in development (6, 2). In its previous direct request the Committee observed that to require public works to be carried out in order to involve citizens in development is not in conformity with Article 1(b) of Convention No. 105 on the abolition of forced labour which Mali has also ratified, which aims to suppress forced labour as a method of mobilizing and using labour for purposes of economic development.

In its report, the Government refers in this connection to Act No. 87-48/AN-RM which defines the conditions for exercizing the right to requisition persons, services and assets in the cases allowed by the legislation on the general organization of defence and on states of emergency.

The Committee asks the Government to provide the legislation on the general organization of defence and states of emergency.

2. Article 25 of the Convention. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 314 of the Labour Code which provides for penalties for infringement of the provisions of section 6 on forced labour, particularly in the salt mines north of Timbuctoo where cases of debt bondage have been reported.