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The Committee notes the Government's brief communication in reply to its previous direct request. The Government indicates that it will supply regularly the information required by the report form on the application of the Convention. The Committee notes these indications and trusts that the Government will not fail to supply in its next report complete and detailed information on the consultations undertaken in the tripartite consultation committee, the establishment of which it had noted with interest in its previous direct request.

Furthermore, the Committee notes the request for clarification expressed by the Government on the production of an annual report on the working of the consultation procedures provided for in the Convention. The Committee wishes to recall the difference in purpose between the annual report provided for in Article 6 of the Convention and the reports on the application of the Convention sent to the ILO which are submitted under article 22 of the ILO Constitution which follow a specified frequency. The latter are intended to enable this Committee and the Conference Committeeon the Application of Standards to ascertain the manner in which the obligations under ratified Conventions are fulfilled. The chief purpose of the annual report provided under Article 6 of the Convention, however, is to allow dissemination of information concerning tripartite consultations on the ILO's standard-setting activities within the country. It may also give information on the effectiveness of the procedures used and allow them to be adapted where necessary. Article 6 is worded in a flexible manner in order to allow the Government to decide whether it is necessary to issue such a report, it being understood that the representative organizations must be consulted on the matter. Finally, with regard to the form which the report may take, the Committee considers it useful to specify that it does not necessarily have to be a printed publication but may, for instance, be a section of an annual report of the Ministry of Labour devoted to the working of consultation procedures. The Committee trusts that in the light of these explanations the Government's next report will provide information on consultations undertaken on this matter.