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1. The Committee notes the Government's detailed report for the period ending June 1996. The Government reports a slow-down in the rate of employment growth during the period and an unemployment rate of 11.8 per cent in 1995, which amounts to an increase of one percentage point in one year. Unemployment continues to affect women and young persons under 24 years of age in particular. The Government reports growth in self-employment, which accounts for nearly 20 per cent of total employment and could be related to growth in the informal sector. The Committee notes with interest the establishment of a body to monitor the labour market with the support of CINTERFOR and notes also the wider responsibilities of the National Directorate of Employment with regard to general oversight, research support, promotion, coordination, design, evaluation and administration of active employment and vocational training policies. It requests the Government to continue providing information on employment and unemployment and to describe the activities of the new Directorate, including the manner in which it contributes to the declaration and pursuit of a policy of full, productive and freely chosen employment, in the terms of Article 1 of the Convention.

2. With reference to its previous observation and recalling that under the terms of Article 2 of the Convention the measures to be adopted to promote employment must be "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy", the Committee once again requests the Government to indicate the manner in which the measures taken in fields such as fiscal and monetary policies, trade policy and investment policy contribute to the attainment of employment objectives (see the report form adopted by the Governing Body).

3. The Committee notes the Bill for the promotion of training and vocational integration of young persons, which was transmitted by the Government, and requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures which have been taken in order to improve the coordination of education and training policies with prospective employment opportunities.

4. Article 3. The Committee notes that the Government emphasizes the importance of the role played by the National Employment Council, which is tripartite, in the formulation of employment policies. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether it envisages finding means of associating the representatives of persons working in the rural sector and the informal sector in consultations on employment policies with a view to taking into account their experience and views, securing their full cooperation in the formulation of these policies and enlisting support for them.

5. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the ILO technical cooperation and advisory activities from which it has benefited, particularly through the work of the ILO multidisciplinary team and CINTERFOR. It requests the Government to indicate in its next report the action taken as a result of these activities (Part V of the report form).