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The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its 2006 direct request, which read as follows:

1. Article 2 of the Convention. Implementation of a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment for persons with disabilities. In its report received in August 2006, the Government indicates the recent adoption of the National Policy on Disability. The Committee invites the Government to provide, in its next report, a general description of the national policy concerning the vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. It asks the Government to communicate a copy of the document on the National Policy on Disability.

2. Article 3. Promotion of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Government states, once again, that it does not have sufficient resources to be able to grant loans to disabled persons wanting to start their own businesses. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on any other measures, adopted within the framework of the national policy to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market.

3. Article 7. Evaluation and adaptation of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities. In its report, the Government indicates that it is doing its utmost to make it possible to integrate persons with disabilities into occupational training institutions and formal and informal education systems. It indicates that the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, through the Zambian Disabled Persons Agency, will collaborate with other actors to provide services, in particular vocational training to persons with disabilities. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the steps taken to enable disabled persons to secure, retain and advance in employment.

4. Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the Government’s statement to the effect that it will communicate statistical information as soon as it becomes available from the Statistics Department, and invites the Government once again to provide full information in its next report, on the application of the Convention in practice.