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1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report received in August 2009, in reply to its 2008 observation. The Government reports that, after almost two years of decreasing unemployment rates, since November 2008, a rising trend has been registered in the number of unemployed persons. The Committee notes that, according to the preliminary results of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) prepared in 2009, the overall unemployment rate stands at 24.1 per cent, as compared to 23.4 per cent registered under the 2008 LFS. The Government indicates that an employment strategy covering the period 2009–13 has been developed for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brcko District in the context of an EU-funded project for the reform of employment policy and the establishment of the labour market information system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Committee notes that this strategy places the focus on the achievement of full employment, the improvement of quality and productivity of workplaces and the development of existing human resources through skills upgrading. As concerns vulnerable groups, the Committee notes that, in the context of the newly adopted employment strategy, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has envisaged special measures to increase the labour market participation rate of women, the objective being to raise it from 21.1 per cent in 2008 to 40 per cent by the end of 2013. Both, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brcko District have envisaged measures targeting young persons, older workers and other groups of workers with special needs aimed at increasing their opportunities of integration into the labour market. The Committee refers to its 2008 observation and invites the Government to continue supplying detailed information on the effects of the measures taken to meet the employment goals set out under the employment strategies adopted by each entity. The Committee hopes that the next report will contain detailed information on the employment trends of the most vulnerable groups of workers, and requests the Government to specify the results achieved in terms of the integration of these categories into the labour market.

2. Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Committee indicates that, in order to successfully implement employment strategies, it is necessary to strengthen and institutionalize the role of the social partners so as to ensure their involvement in the process of developing appropriate programmes and measures. The Committee notes that in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, social partners participate in discussions concerning the economic and social policy measures to be adopted by the Government within the Economic and Social Council. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report detailed information on the manner in which consultations on the matters covered by the Convention are ensured, including any examples of the questions addressed or the decisions reached, on employment policy through the Economic and Social Council established in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other tripartite boards and committees that exist in the country.

3. Part V of the report form. ILO technical cooperation. The Committee notes that, under the ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006–07), priority was given to the development of employment and labour market policies and programmes which reflect national needs and EU standards, taking into consideration equal opportunity concerns related to gender equality and persons with disabilities. The Committee requests the Government to report on the employment promotion activities carried out under the Decent Work Country Programme, and on any other advisory activities of the ILO concerning employment promotion and actions taken as a result thereof.