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Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's first report. The Government states that it has established an employment policy by resolution No. 6/97, as part of the five-year programme for development (1994-99). The aims of the employment policy are: to promote employment, to increase productivity, to guarantee vocational training, to expand and consolidate social insurance and to stimulate new labour relations. To this end, the Government has formulated specific strategies, including: promoting labour-intensive investment for national reconstruction; providing financial assistance to promote self-employment; encouraging sectors with high labour absorption rates; creating jobs in the formal sector; adopting gender-sensitive micro-enterprise development; encouraging rural settlement through access to credit and support of micro-enterprises; and utilizing the non-governmental organization network to administer programmes and reach a wider range of people. The Committee would appreciate receiving further information on the specific programmes enacted to carry out these policies and strategies.

The Committee would also appreciate receiving further information on the following items requested in the report form under Article 1.

Information on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, both in the aggregate and as they affect particular categories of workers such as women, young persons, older workers and disabled workers. The Committee notes the Government's statement that data on employment, unemployment and underemployment are difficult to gather because not all job placements occur through the public employment agency. The Committee recalls the importance of such information in formulating and evaluating the effectiveness of employment policies, and encourages the Government to seek ILO technical assistance to develop a data collection system.

Overall and sectoral development policies, including measures in such fields as investment policy, fiscal and monetary policy, trade policy, and income and wage policy.

Information on education and training policies. The Committee notes the various training projects undertaken by the Government. It would appreciate continuing to receive information on the Government's education and training policies, including specific programmes undertaken, participation rates, and any evaluations carried out.

Article 2. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply in its next report information on the procedures adopted to ensure that the effects on employment of measures taken to promote economic development or other economic and social objectives receive due consideration, at both the planning and the implementation stages, and that the principal measures of employment policy are decided on and kept under periodical review within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy.

Article 3. The Committee notes the Government's statement that consultations on general economic policy take place through the tripartite Labour Consultative Commission, which discusses socio-economic issues. It asks the Government to supply further information on the manner in which representatives of other sectors of the economically active population such as those working in the rural and informal sectors are consulted. The Committee would also appreciate receiving specific examples of the issues discussed by the Labour Consultative Commission.

Lastly, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply with its next report copies of the following legislation mentioned in the Government's report, but not received: Resolution No. 6/97 on labour policy; Decree No. 23/87 establishing an Employment Promotion Office; and Decree No. 37/87 establishing a National Employment and Vocational Training Institute. The Committee also asks the Government to supply a copy of the government programme on employment promotion.

Please also see the comments made under Convention No. 111, as follows:

1. The Committee notes with interest that section 73(1) of the 1998 Labour Act (Act No. 8/28 of 20 July 1998) establishes that female workers are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as male workers. Section 73(1) contemplates the creation of the requisite conditions to facilitate the integration of women into the labour force. The Committee requests the Government to provide information, in its next report, on the manner in which section 73(1) is applied in practice and to indicate in particular what specific measures have been taken or are envisaged to promote the integration of women into the labour market in Mozambique. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information, including statistical data, on the percentage of women in the labour force and the distribution of men and women in the various sectors of the economy, in both the public and private sectors.

2. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information in its next report regarding the activities of the National Labour Inspectorate in implementing the Convention and the relevant provisions of the 1998 Act, including the number of inspections carried out during the reporting period, the number of employment discrimination violations found, the action taken and the outcome.

3. The Committee requests the Government to provide copies of any administrative or judicial decisions issued during the reporting period relevant to the application of the non-discrimination principle of the Convention.