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Articles 2 and 7 of the Convention. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2009. The Committee notes that Decree No. 601 of 2 December 2008 established a State Medical and Social Assessment Service, an independent structure attached to the Ministry of Labour mandated to examine persons with disabilities in order to determine their degree of disability and establish suitable rehabilitation programmes. This national service is subdivided into 36 services for medical and social assessment, ten specialist services, three regional services and 22 territorial services. The Committee notes that in 2008 a total of 39,085 persons were examined and 37,136 were recognized as having a disability. The Government recognizes that many of the aspects related to improving the quality of life and professional integration of persons with disabilities have still not been resolved. The Scientific Research Institute for the Assessment and Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons is involved in resolving them. Moreover, section 35 of Act No. 458 of 24 December 1991 on the social protection of persons with disabilities provides that not less than 3 per cent of posts in enterprises and public establishments shall be reserved for persons with disabilities. The Committee requests the Government to supply detailed information on the programmes devised by the Scientific Research Institute for the Assessment and Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons and the State Medical and Social Assessment Service. The Committee also requests the Government to supply information on the impact of Act No. 458 on the reintegration of persons with disabilities and the measures taken with a view to providing and evaluating services to enable persons with disabilities to secure, retain and advance in employment (Article 7). The Committee hopes that the next report will also contain information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including statistics and relevant data disaggregated as much as possible by age, sex and the nature of the disability, extracts from reports, studies and inquiries concerning the matters covered by the Convention (Part V of the report form).

Article 5. Consultation of social parties. The Committee notes that section 5 of Act No. 458 provides for the participation of associations of persons with disabilities within public and private bodies with regard to the formulation of measures concerning persons with disabilities and decision-making in relation to them. State bodies and enterprises also encourage associations of persons with disabilities to participate in the formulation of projects that concern them. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the manner in which representative employers’ and workers’ organizations are consulted on the implementation of a vocational rehabilitation policy for persons with disabilities.

Article 8. Services in rural areas. The Government indicates that the number of persons with disabilities has fallen by comparison with previous years, particularly as a result of the new state services for medical and social assessment established in rural areas. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the measures taken or envisaged for the development of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities in rural areas and remote communities.

Article 9. Training of suitably qualified staff. The Government refers to the State Medical and Social Assessment Service as the body responsible for the medical examination of persons with disabilities. The Committee requests the Government to describe the measures taken to ensure that the abovementioned services have suitably qualified staff for the vocational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.