- 55 - A. Introduction 279. The Committee thanks the State party for its initial report, for the written replies to the Committee’s list of issues and for the quality of the dialogue with the Algerian delegation, whose open-mindedness and cooperation are appreciated. 280. The Committee notes that, despite the country’s economic, social and security problems, the State party has submitted a detailed initial report on the constitutional and legislative provisions designed to protect and promote the economic, social and cultural rights of the inhabitants of Algeria. B. Positive aspects 281. The Committee notes with satisfaction that article 123 of the Algerian Constitution recognizes the Covenant’s precedence over domestic law in the internal legal system. The Committee also welcomes the fact that the provisions of the Covenant may be directly invoked in the courts. 282. The specific commitments to human rights which the State party has made in recent years are also noted with satisfaction. They include the establishment in 1992 of the National Human Rights Observatory, the establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Amazighité (Berbers) in May 1995, the training of judges in human rights and the establishment of human rights professorships at the university level. 283. The Committee takes note of the statement by the delegation to the effect that the state of emergency in Algeria does not affect any of the rights guaranteed by the Covenant, particularly trade union freedom and the right to strike, which are guaranteed under Algerian law. The Committee also takes note of the fact that associations are flourishing and new trade unions have been formed. 284. The Committee expresses its satisfaction that efforts have been made to adopt a set of measures to promote job creation and attenuate the effects of structural adjustment for vulnerable groups. In particular, the recent establishment of a system of social protection ("safety net") for the unemployed is noted with appreciation. The Committee further notes with encouragement the Algerian Government’s unswerving commitment to social protection and the statement in the Government’s written replies that the proportion of the budget hitherto allocated to support of loss-making enterprises will be redirected towards the most disadvantaged groups in society. 285. The Committee takes note with satisfaction of the considerable progress in education achieved by the State party since independence and of the low school drop-out rate. The progress made in respect of education includes a steady and substantial increase in the rate of school attendance by girls. The Committee takes note with interest of the introduction of instruction in the Amazigh (Berber) language since the beginning of the 1995-1996 school year. 286. The Committee appreciates the fact that, despite difficult domestic conditions, the destruction of almost 600 schools (ECOSOC E/ICEF 1995 P/L.30)