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1. The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending May 2002 and the information that it contains in reply to its observation of 2001. The data provided by the Government show that in 2003 the active population aged 15 years and over increased by 1.5 per cent, reaching 10,379,000 persons. The activity rate fell slightly from 51.3 per cent to 50.7 per cent. With regard to employment, nearly 221,000 jobs were created during the course of 2002 in all sectors of economic activity, in both urban and rural areas. The unemployment rate, which remains high in towns, declined by 0.9 per cent at the national level, falling from 12.5 per cent in 2001 to 11.6 per cent in 2002. The categories of workers most affected by unemployment continue to be young persons and women. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report which is as detailed as possible on the situation and trends of the active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment.

2. The Government indicates that it has taken various measures to promote employment, with particular reference to:

-  the creation of the fund for the promotion of employment for young persons;

-  the apprenticeship training programme;

-  the fund to support certain promoters;

-  mediation at the level of the labour market;

-  the improvement of the environment for enterprises, the system of microcredit.

The Committee requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on the implementation of these various programmes, and to provide any evaluation available of their effectiveness. The Committee also notes the emphasis placed on the promotion of employment for young persons through measures focusing on facilitating access to credit and improving opportunities for integration into the labour market. It would be grateful if the Government would provide specific information on the various programmes implemented and their effect on employment promotion, both at the aggregate level and with regard to specific categories of workers, such as women, young persons, older workers and persons with disabilities. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on underemployment, as requested in the report form.

3. Article 3. The Government indicates that its economic policy in general, and in particular its employment policy, is decided on and kept under review in consultation with the representatives of employers and workers. It mentions among the forms of participation of the latter: the representation of elected office holders in professional chambers and of representatives of employees in Parliament; the representation of employers, employees and NGOs on the Higher Council of National Promotion and the Plan; and the representation on the National Agency for Employment Promotion and Skills. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information in its next report on the role played by the representatives of the social partners on these bodies, with an indication of the views expressed and the manner in which they were taken into account when formulating and implementing the employment policy, within the meaning of the Convention.

4. Part V of the report form. The Government refers in its report to collaboration with the ILO in the context of a pilot project to promote micro and small-scale enterprises in the provinces of Settat and El Jadida. It requests that the Government keep it informed of the action taken as a result of these projects and other practical activities by the ILO for the  technical implementation of an active employment policy, within the meaning of the Convention.