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The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending September 2002, in which it expresses its regret for the delay incurred in establishing the representative committee of seafarers and shipowners in the port of Douala. It indicates that this delay is due to the problem of identifying the most representative trade unions for the committee. A team will once again visit the port to determine the representativeness of potential members and the procedures for the establishment of the committee. The Committee of Experts hopes that the Government will pursue its efforts for the establishment of committees consisting of an equal number of representatives of shipowners and seafarers to advise on any matters relating to the operation of employment offices for seafarers, as required by Article 5 of the Convention.

Article 10. The Government indicates in its report that it would be prepared to accept the cooperation of the ILO in this respect. The Committee trusts that the respective units of the ILO will be able to provide the desired technical assistance and that the Government will be able to provide information on unemployment among seafarers and the work of employment agencies for seafarers, and particularly the data available on the activities of employment offices in the ports which are of interest to seafarers.

The Committee recalls that the Governing Body has invited States parties to Convention No. 9 to examine the possibility of ratifying the Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers’ Convention, 1996 (No. 179), which would automatically result in the denunciation of Convention No. 9 (see paragraphs 47-51 of document GB.273/LILS/4(Rev.1) of November 1998). The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on any consultations held on this matter.