Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Madagascar (Ratification: 1966)

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 2001 direct request which read as follows:

1. The Committee notes the supplementary information on application of the Convention communicated by the Government in October 2000. It notes that a new approach has been adopted for preparing the national employment policy to which the ILO has provided support in the form of technical and financial assistance. The Committee requests that the Government describe in its next report the action undertaken following the assistance received from the ILO in relation to employment policy and to indicate whether particular difficulties have been encountered in achieving the objectives set. In addition, please provide a copy of reports, studies and surveys, and disaggregated statistical data enabling correct assessment of the situation, the level and trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment in Madagascar.

2. The Committee also notes that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund deem Madagascar eligible to apply for a debt reduction plan under the strengthened Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Despite some improvement in economic indicators, seven out of ten people suffer from poverty. Resources allocated under the HIPC initiative are intended for priority spheres defined by the Government in a detailed strategic campaign against poverty, which should be defined through broad consultation with civil society. In this respect, the Committee trusts that the Government will continue to give priority to its programmes aimed at full employment, and will provide in its next report indications on the extent to which the employment objectives set forth in the detailed strategic campaign against poverty have been achieved (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

3. Referring to its 1999 direct request, the Committee would be grateful to receive information on the effects produced by the programmes mentioned earlier (particularly project MAG/94/006 for the promotion of employment for women, project MADIO and the rural employment programmes).

4. Article 3. Please provide examples of the way in which the National Council for Employment broaches employment policy questions, particularly in the framework of the new national employment policy and of the detailed strategy against poverty. The Committee requests once again that the Government inform it of the manner in which consultations are conducted with persons engaged in the rural sector and informal sector.