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The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

Article 5, paragraph 1, of the Convention. Participation of nursing personnel in the planning of nursing services. The Committee has been commenting for the last 15 years on the method for appointing members of the nursing care committees and has been requesting information on the participation of representative organizations in these consultative bodies. The Government in successive reports has not supplied any explanations on this point, nor has it informed of any follow-up discussions concerning the modification of the method of appointing members of the nursing care committees which were to be held with trade union organizations under the terms of the protocol agreement signed in March 2000 by the Government and representative organizations of nursing personnel.

The Committee recalls once again that Article 5(1) of the Convention does not specify the role to be played by the representatives of nursing personnel in promoting participative and consultative practices within health care establishments, nor does it indicate any particular method of appointing representatives of the personnel. However, reference may be made to Paragraphs 19(2) and 20 of the Nursing Personnel Recommendation, 1977 (No. 157), according to which the representatives of nursing personnel should be understood within the meaning of Article 3 of the Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971 (No. 135), which sets out specific procedures for the appointment of representatives.

The Committee requests the Government once again to indicate whether the possible modification of the method of appointing members of nursing care committees by drawing lots is still under consideration and to report on any further developments in this regard.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.