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1. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report, as well as that contained in the conclusions of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and in the Government's report on the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning the amendment to the Criminal Code which makes racial discrimination a criminal offence (UN documents CERD/C/304/Add.41 of 18 September 1997 and CERD/C/279/Add.2 of 13 March 1997). The Committee asks the Government to transmit a copy of the amendment to the Criminal Code.

2. Regarding the insertion in the revised draft Labour Code of the grounds of colour and national extraction -- grounds for discrimination prohibited by the Constitution and the Convention but not by the current Labour Code -- the Committee notes the Government's statement in its report that the revision is still under way and that any amendment to include these two grounds will be brought to the Committee's attention. As already noted in its previous direct request, the Committee looks forward to receiving in future reports information on the adoption of the revised Code, as well as a copy of the final text.

3. In its previous direct request, the Committee had noted the reasons given for the small percentage of women occupied in the public and private sectors and the measures under way to remedy this situation through increasing the level of school attendance and education for girls. The Committee had asked the Government to supply full information on the results of the measures particularly regarding female participation in vocational and university training, and on the participation of women in public and private sector employment, especially in posts reserved for men and in supervisory and managerial positions. From the Government's report to CERD, the Committee notes that the percentage of women in the public service has increased from 22 per cent in 1993 to 34 per cent in 1994 and that they are highly represented in the education sector (57 per cent), but highly underrepresented in the finance sector (3.2 per cent). From the Government's report on the Convention, the Committee notes that a draft Act on vocational guidance and vocational training is being drawn up on the basis of the framework policy document on employment and vocational training and that national plans of action for employment are being adopted, and that these will be communicated to the Committee. The Committee hopes that these various documents will take account of all aspects of the national policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation including general measures (like enforcement procedures through the courts, affirmative action) to give concrete implementation to this policy. It looks forward to receiving the copies of the documents as they relate to the Convention, as well as information, accompanied by statistics, on the results already obtained in the implementation of the action plans.