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1. Coordination of employment policy with poverty reduction. The Committee notes the report received in February 2004 containing information on the establishment of the "employment" component of the Poverty Reduction Strategy approved in 2002. It is planned to enhance the range of vocational and technical training available, promote small and medium-sized enterprises, promote labour-intensive work and improve access to employment for women (conclusions of the workshop held in Conakry in September 2003 for approving the framework document for employment policy in Guinea). The Government also points out the distinct trend towards self-employment in the informal economy, resulting in the urgent need to set up a genuine micro-enterprise development programme. The Committee once again notes the objectives of the Labour and Employment Statistical Information Network (RISET), the establishment of which was already noted in its previous comments. It requests the Government to provide up-to-date information in its next report on the measures taken to guarantee that employment, as a key component in poverty reduction, is at the heart of macroeconomic and social policies. The Committee asks the Government in particular to provide information on the results achieved, by group such as for young people and for women, by the measures taken to improve the range of vocational and technical training available, on the promotion of small and micro-enterprises and on the jobs created by labour-intensive programmes (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

2. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Committee recalls that Article 3 of the Convention requires consultations with all interested parties - in particular representatives of employers and workers - in the establishment and implementation of employment policies. It is the joint responsibility of the Government and the representative organizations of employers and workers to ensure that representatives of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups of the active population are associated as closely as possible with the formulation and implementation of measures of which they should be the prime beneficiaries (see paragraph 493 of the 2004 General Survey on promoting employment). The Committee trusts that the Government will include detailed information in this regard in its next report.

3. Finally, it once again asks the Government to describe in its next report the action taken to implement an active employment policy within the meaning of the Convention further to the technical assistance received from the ILO.