Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 83rd ILC session (1996)

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

1. The Committee notes the new information supplied by the Government in reply to its previous request. It notes that the Government considers that by concentrating on restoring the infrastructure, achieving sectorially balanced and regional development, improving standards of living and combating unemployment, the objectives of the economic policy under the 1995 budget and in the ten-year economic development plan are in line with the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to attach with its next report the relevant extracts of the texts under which "an active policy designed to promote, full productive and freely chosen employment" has been formulated in application of Article 1 of the Convention.

2. The Committee also notes with interest execution of the ILO technical cooperation projects which should promote the implementation of an active employment policy in the meaning of the Convention. It hopes in particular that the labour market survey will make it possible to collect data on the characteristics and trends in labour supply and demand which are essential in order to "decide on and keep under review, within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy", the measures to be adopted for attaining the objectives (Article 2 of the Convention). In addition, the Committee requests the Government to send the main conclusions of the study on migration and the measures taken or envisaged as a result with a view to encouraging the return of qualified immigrants.

3. The Government notes the participation in the National Employment Agency of representatives of employers, trade unions, the university, and the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education as well as in the execution of the project to rehabilitate the Rapid Vocational Training Centre/Al-Dakwana. In this regard, the Committee recalls that the consultations required under Article 3 of the Convention should be extended to all aspects of economic policy which have an influence on employment and the representatives of all the groups concerned should be involved, including representatives of workers in the rural and informal sectors "with a view to taking fully into account their experience and views and securing their full cooperation in formulating and enlisting support for such policies". It would be grateful if the Government would indicate any procedures adopted or envisaged to give full effect to this essential provision of the Convention.