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The Committee notes the information and the statistical data provided by the Government in its report received in September 2005. It invites the Government to provide additional information on the following points.

1. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes with interest the Ethiopia Country Profile prepared by the ILO in 2004 as part of its project "Employment of People with Disabilities - The Impact of Legislation". It further notes that the Proclamation on rights of disabled persons to employment aims to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities to appropriate training, employment opportunities and salary, and to prevent any workplace discrimination. The Developmental Social Welfare Policy was developed in 1997 and specifically targets people with disabilities. It sets out to safeguard their rights and to promote opportunities for vocational rehabilitation. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to report on its effort in order to enable people with disabilities to fully participate in the open labour market. It asks the Government to regularly provide information on the manner in which the development social welfare policy has contributed to the vocational rehabilitation and the employment of persons with disabilities (Article 2 of the Convention).

2. Access to the open labour market for persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that measures to ensure special consideration which would enable persons with disabilities to better compete in the labour market have not been yet enacted. The Committee asks the Government to indicate, in its next report, measures taken or envisaged in order to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention.

3. Consultation of the representative organizations of employers and workers. The Government indicates in its report that the Department of Rehabilitation Affairs coordinates the rehabilitation activities undertaken by the public bodies, the private firms and by organizations of and for persons with disabilities, through regular contacts and follow-ups. The Committee asks the Government to provide, in its next report, more detailed information on the manner in which representative employers’ and workers’ organizations, and representative organizations of and for persons with disabilities, are consulted on the implementation of the national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities (Article 5).

4. Services available for persons with disabilities. The Committee refers to its previous direct request and asks the Government to provide further information on the success of the special services in ensuring that persons with disabilities have as much access as possible to the labour market (Article 7).

5. Suitably qualified staff to provide services for persons with disabilities. Please also provide further information on the measures taken by the regional offices and the departments of labour and social affairs to ensure that services are provided in rural areas.