popUlation statistics hadalsobeenprovided fortheCommittee. 232.Members oftheCommittee expressed satisfaction attheinformation provided by therepresentative tosupplement thereport, whichwascommendably comprehensive; ithadbeendrafted inaccordance withtheCommittee's guidelines an~tookaccount ofmostoftheconcerns expressed bytheCommittee duringitsconsideration ofthe previous periodic report. Members thanked theGovernment fortheinformation provided ontheextensive actiontakentoimplemunt article 3oftheConvention in respect ofapartheid. Members lookedforward tofurther enlightenment inthenext periodic reportonhowrecentdevelopments hadaffected thestructure ofthe Government, thepolitical systemandsociety inAlgeria. 233.Members wereconcerned. however, thattheannexonpopulation statistics did notrrovide suffipient infolmation onethnicgroups andminorities toenablethe assessment oftheimplementation oftheConvention inthisarea.Information was requested ontherecognition bytheGovernment oftheBerbers asaseparate group withinthecountry. 234.Clarification wassoughtonhowtheconcept ofracialdiscrimination was interpreted; whether allthegrounds detailed inarticle 1oftheConvention we.:e covered byAlgerian legislation and,ifso,whereweretheyspecified. 235.Withregardtoarticle 4,members pointed outthatlogislation ismeantto prevent aswellastopunishracialdiscrimination, andtheyaskedforfurther cla~ification ontheclaimmadeinthereportthatnospecific measures were necessary toprevent suchdiscrimination. Theyalsowishedtoknowhowthe Criminal Cod~wasinterpreted for~etermining whether actsofracialdiscrimination hadoccurred. 236.Anumberofquestions wereraisedconcerning article 5oftheConvention. Members wonderbd why.underarticle 38oftheConstitution, peopleengaged in profitable activities wereexcluded fromtheexercise ofpolitical rights. They wishedtoknowwhether therewerelimitations ~lacedontheex~rcise offreedom of movement byforeigners 8ndwhether Algeri8n nationals whohadleftthecountry were allowed toreturn. Information wasrequested onwh.t'·~r anypolitical associations hadbeen fo~medunderthenewmulti-party system andontherightofassociation in -48-general. Members askedwhether theCriminal Codecontained provision against discrimination forforeign workers inthefieldsofhousing andemployment; what recourse measures wereavailable ifdiscrimination didoccur;andwhether foreign workers enjoyed socialrightsinpractice, evenifthesewerenotguaranteed to thembylaw.Information wasaskedforontl.ereports ofover'3,000people arrested duringthe1988riotsandonthereported allegatIons oftorture. Members inquired whether therewereregional divisions inAlgeria forplanning purpo~~s and whether somealasrequired greater attention thanothers. 237.Finally, withreference toarticle 14,theGovernment wasrequested toexamine thetextsofdeclarations madeunderthisarticle byotherStatesparties witha viewtothepossibility ofAlgeria making adeclaration onthecompetence ofthe Committeo. 238.InreSpOnfQ tothequestions raisedbymembers oftheCommittee, the representative state~thattheGovernment wasconcerned topreserve national unity; itwasnotpossible toprovidestatistics ontheethnicorigins ofthepeopleas allitscitizens wereregarded asAlgerians. Itwasstressftd thatnofurther information existeJ otherthanthatbasedoatheparemetern giveninthe re~ort, whichwascolle~ted inresponse to8pecific needs. Furthermore, hedeclared that thequestion ontherightsoftheBerbers wasirrelevant sinceallcitizen& enjoyed equalrights, bothinlawandinpractice. 239.Withreference toarticle 4andtheprevention ofracialdiscriminatiotl, the representative saidthatthespecific measures mentioned inthereportreferred to measures otherthanlegalones,andthatarticle 28oftheConstitution prohibited discrimination onevenmorecomprehensive grounds thanthoselistedinthe Convention. <:40.Inresponse toquestions onarticle S,thex"ept"esentative informed the Committee that articl~ 38oftheConstitution wasnotintended tobediscriminatory butrathertorestrict theinfluence ofaffluent sections ofsociety andthus
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a report from a UN Committee, discussing the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Algeria. The report covers various aspects of the country's laws, policies, and practices related to racial discrimination, including population statistics, ethnic groups, political rights, freedom of movement, and social rights. The discussion is focused on the human rights aspect, with the Committee seeking clarification and information on the implementation of the Convention.

**Category**
Human Rights