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The Committee notes the information provided in the Government's report, including the detailed statistics on the relative proportion of men and women in different sectors of activity, and information on the monitoring function of the Federal Inspectorate of Labour attached to the Ministry of Labour in relation to the Basic Principles Act on Employment.

1. As noted in its observation, the Committee hopes that the draft new Labour Code will be adopted, taking into account the technical assistance provided by the Office. In the meantime, the Committee recalls that the 1992 Act to amend the Labour Code supplemented section 16 of the Code to provide that distinctions, exclusions, preferences and restrictions in employment which are appropriate to the conditions of certain work or which correspond to the particular needs of the State to take measures for persons requiring greater legal and social protection, are not considered to constitute discrimination. The Government indicates that these protective measures are to cover training and employment for persons of pre-conscription age and persons taking correspondence or evening educational courses. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on what measures might be covered by the reference to "employment ... which correspond(s) to the particular needs of the State" and to indicate whether any changes are envisaged in the new Labour Code concerning these provisions.

2. The Committee notes the information supplied on job placement for women (e.g. job reservations for women in several regions, administered by the regional employment authorities, up to 25 per cent in the Chelyabinsk region) and asks the Government to continue to inform it of these, and similar, measures. For example, how many women have taken part in the "New Start" programme set up for the long-term unemployed? Moreover, noting from the Government's report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (UN document CEDAW/C/USR/4 of 15 November 1994) that, although women constitute more than half the staff of the organs of executive power at the federal level, the representation of women in executive posts is still low, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to promote equal access of men and women to senior posts in executive and managerial bodies.

3. The Committee notes that the Government asks for more details on the texts referred to in point 3 of the Committee's last direct request, so as to be able to comment. It recalls that Decree No. 531 of 26 July 1973 of the USSR Council of Ministers concerned the introduction of the attestation of managerial and engineering-technical employees and other specialists of enterprises and organizations of industry, agriculture, transport and communication and that Order No. 153 of 5 March 1987 contained regulations on the procedure for the attestation of senior officials in the administrative machinery of state and social bodies. It requests the Government to indicate, in its next report, whether these texts are still in force, and if so, to provide details on the measures being taken to bring them into full conformity with the provisions of the Convention.

4. The Committee repeats its request for information on the policies, programmes or any other measures taken to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation irrespective of race, religion and national extraction, particularly in light of the adjustments taking place in the economy of the Russian Federation.