Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee took note of the Government's report and of the helpful information it contains in response to the previous direct request. The Committee has also noted the additional information provided by the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education and the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education which has been forwarded by the Government. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the application of the Convention, in particular on the following points.

1. The Committee observes that the report does not contain any statistics on the situation and trends of employment, underemployment and unemployment. In this respect, it hopes that the labour market survey, conducted with the support of the ILO's technical cooperation, will be successfully completed and enable essential data and the decisions relating to employment policy measures to be collected and analysed. The Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report, the results of the survey together with the conclusions of the migration study also conducted in cooperation with the ILO. In addition, the Committee invites the Government to describe any progress which has been made in the establishment and effective operation of a network of national employment agencies covering the whole country, taking into account the provisions of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88).

2. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government, in response to the questions in the report form, on the main employment policies relating to the implementation of construction and development projects and to the promotion of investments. Please continue to provide information on the main measures taken, "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy", with a view to promoting full employment which is productive and freely chosen, in accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Please specify in particular the measures taken with regard to investment policy, budgetary and monetary policy, prices, incomes and wages policy, and the measures taken to support balanced regional development. In addition, please describe the measures taken to promote the establishment of small enterprises, by specifying the results obtained in terms of jobs created. Please continue to provide information on employment training activities and on the measures designed for certain categories of the working population such as women, young people or the handicapped.

3. Article 3. The Committee notes that employers' and workers' representatives form part of the governing council of the National Employment Office. Furthermore, it notes the introduction through Act No. 389 of 12 January 1995 of a Social and Economic Council designed to ensure consultations with the representatives of the different sectors of the economy and of society in formulating the main economic and social policies. The Committee invites the Government to provide, in its next report, information on the work of this advisory body, by indicating the issues included in its agenda, the opinions put forward and the way in which consideration has been given to the view expressed in the preparation and implementation of employment policy measures.