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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 2009 direct request, which read as follows:

The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2008 which includes replies to its 2006 direct request and a copy of the National Employment and Labour Market Policy of November 2004.

1. Implementation of a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment for persons with disabilities. The Government reports that the draft National Policy on Disability is being circulated to the stakeholders for comments. The Committee notes that under the National Employment and Labour Market Policy, the Government intends to adopt special measures to address challenges faced by persons with disabilities, with the goal of mainstreaming persons with disabilities in employment and to increase their employment opportunities. In so doing, the Government has come up with strategies in the Policy such as developing special skills training programmes for persons with disabilities and increasing their access to credit facilities. The Committee notes that the 2007 Decent Work Country Programme for Zambia mentions the Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality Project, which has provided training in business skills for women entrepreneurs, including women with disabilities. It has also been assisting various associations of women entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities’ organizations, as well as employers’ and workers’ organizations to enable them to better serve the needs of women entrepreneurs. The Committee would appreciate receiving in the Government’s next report information on the implementation of the National Policy on Disability and of the Decent Work Country Programme and their resulting impact on the actual integration of persons with disabilities within the open labour market (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). Please also provide information on the results of any surveys on disability once they have been completed and other statistical data on the vocational integration of persons with disabilities, in so far as possible, segregated on the basis of gender, occupation and income (Part V of the report form).

2. Article 3. Promotion of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Government recalls that the Persons with Disability Act, 1996, promotes employment for persons with disabilities by eliminating all forms of discrimination on grounds of disability. In its report, the Government further stated that persons with disabilities enjoy the principle of non-discrimination in respect of vocational training and chances of employment. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the implementation of the Persons with Disability Act, 1996, and 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. In addition, the Committee invites the Government to provide information on the programmes created by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for persons with disabilities, as envisaged in the Fifth National Development Plan.

3. Article 7. Evaluation and adaptation of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities. The Committee notes that the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) provides vocational guidance services to all persons with disabilities while the National Trust for Disabled (NTD) provides microcredit to persons with disabilities. The National Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Ndola provides skills training for persons with disabilities. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information, if possible supported by statistics, on the steps taken to enable persons with disabilities to secure, retain and advance in employment.