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1. The Committee notes a new detailed report from the Government, received in August 2002, which contains full particulars on the matters raised in the report form. The Committee notes with interest the establishment, by virtue of Executive Decree No. PCM-016-2001 of 31 October 2001, of the Economic and Social Council, the principal objective of which is to serve as a forum for social dialogue and consultation for the analysis and approval of proposals related to the dimension, continuity and form of wage and employment policies with a view to promoting and increasing the competitiveness of enterprises at the global level, as well as training and improving the quality of working life of men and women. The Committee also notes with interest that the Office’s Multidisciplinary Advisory Team has responded to a request from the Government for the inclusion of the labour dimension into the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). Following tripartite consultations, the ILO submitted recommendations to the Economic and Social Council to provide guidance for the measures adopted within the framework of the PRS. These recommendations included the following: undertaking a permanent analysis of the impact on employment of the various policies and programmes adopted in the economic and social fields; promoting public labour-intensive investment programmes; decentralizing resources to support small and micro-enterprises; ensuring that basic education is free of charge in practice; making progress towards a more relevant and effective vocational training policy adapted to the needs of the market and promoting equity for the most marginalized labour force, which is in the informal sector and the rural economy; and pursuing a policy of the modernization, integration and decentralization of employment services. The Committee hopes that in its next report the Government will refer to the action taken as a result of these recommendations, which will make a significant contribution to the full application of Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention.

2. The Committee notes that the open unemployment rate in San Pedro Sula (the economic centre of Honduras) rose to 7.4 per cent in 2001 (compared with 6.9 per cent in 1999), which is the highest level of unemployment in the past 14 years. The Committee notes the various measures which have been taken to promote employment including, for example, the establishment of agricultural export zones (Decree No. 233-2001), as well as the measures intended to promote sustainable rural and local development. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information on the jobs created as a result of the various measures referred to in its report. In particular, please indicate the manner in which the action taken by the National Vocational Training Institute, the National Vocational Technical Education Centre and the measures adopted under the Framework Act for integrated youth development have given rise to an improvement in the coordination of education and training policies with prospective employment opportunities.

3. The Committee notes that in 2001 a total of 36 enterprises related to export processing zones closed, resulting in the loss of 25,591 jobs. In view of the high number of women workers who have been affected by the recession in the export processing sector, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information in its next report on employment trends in the sector and the measures that have been adopted for the reintegration in the labour market of the men and women workers affected.