Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 2009, publiée 99ème session CIT (2010)

Convention (n° 159) sur la réadaptation professionnelle et l'emploi des personnes handicapées, 1983 - Paraguay (Ratification: 1991)

1. Implementation of vocational rehabilitation and employment policies for persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2009, which includes the provisions of Act No. 3585 of August 2008. The new provisions raise the percentage of persons with disabilities to be recruited as officials in all public administration bodies from 2 to 5 per cent, reduce from 40 to 33 per cent the minimum degree of disability required in respect of candidates, increase the penalties for failure to comply with the provisions and provide that doubts concerning the interpretation of the legal texts should be resolved in favour of persons with disabilities. Other activities carried out in the context of the development and implementation of a national policy on the vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities include the monitoring by the authorities of compliance with Act No. 2479 of 2004 as amended by Act No. 3585 of 2008, the creation of an inter-institutional committee in February 2009, the establishment of commitments with the National Vocational Promotion Service and the signing of an inter-institutional agreement between the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare and the Public Service Secretariat, which includes a clause on the integration of persons with disabilities. The Committee encourages the Government to continue providing information on the progress made in implementing Act No. 3585 of 2008, as well as on the establishment of a national plan on the vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities which takes into account all the provisions of the Convention. In particular, please include information on the achievement of the quotas established by Act No. 3585 of 2008 by public institutions on all levels.

2. Consultation of the social partners. The Government has provided information on the initiatives implemented with regard to the social partners and the private sector in the context of the National Institute for the Protection of Persons with Special Needs (INPRO) and the inter-institutional committee which is drafting the regulations under Act No. 2479 of 2004 as amended by Act No. 3585 of 2008. These include awareness-raising measures, the signing of mutual cooperation agreements between INPRO and civil society organizations, the organization of tripartite consultations involving civil society, and the preparation of a Bill to create incentives in the private sector for the employment of persons with disabilities, which includes tax adjustment measures. The Committee requests the Government to include information in its next report on the consultations held with the social partners and with representative organizations of and for persons with disabilities. Please also provide information on the progress made in adopting and implementing the Bill on the creation of incentives in the private sector for the employment of persons with disabilities (Article 5 of the Convention).