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1. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. With reference to its previous direct request, the Government provides detailed information in its report received in October 2005 on the activities of the Public Employment Service of the National Apprenticeship Service (SENA). It also provides information on the progress achieved by the Programme of Direct Support for Employment (PADE), which has the backing of the private sector to provide employment for the unemployed. The Government adds that between June 2004 and June 2005 the national unemployment rate fell from 14.1 per cent to 11.4 per cent. The Government states that this progress is due to the action taken to increase the coverage of education and vocational training. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue providing information on the results attained by the public employment service in achieving the best possible organization of the employment market (Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention). The Committee reaffirms its interest in receiving information on the operation of existing employment offices, both those of the SENA and of the territorial employment councils, so that it can ascertain the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices (Part V of the report form).

2. Cooperation of the social partners. The Government indicates that the various employment councils existing in the country have been evaluated. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide examples with its next report of the consultations held in the framework of the territorial employment councils with representatives of employers and workers concerning the organization and operation of the employment service (Articles 4 and 5).

3. The Committee noted previously that information had been requested from the municipal authorities of the city of Bogotá on the public employment service and workers in the informal economy. The Committee hopes that in its next report the Government will provide information on the manner in which the public employment service ensures the effective discharge of the functions set out in Article 6 of the Convention in relation to workers in the informal economy in the main cities of the country, as well as in rural areas.