Launch of project "Reform of disability determination system"

Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative for Montenegro

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to be here today, to officially start interventions that I’m deeply convinced will contribute to improvement of lives of persons with disabilities, their families and their caregivers.

The project, which is generously funded by the European Union and will be implemented in close partnership with organizations representing persons with disabilities and the Ministry of Finance and Social Affairs, has no lesser ambition than to reform the current system of disability determination.

The reform is expected to bring about a number of significant changes, which first and foremost for persons with disabilities, thus enabling more just access to their rights.

Firstly, it will lead to the replacement of the current predominantly medical model of disability determination, while introducing a system which more adequately factors in social and human rights principles to disability determination, as highlighted by the recommendations of the Committee of UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This change will bring about formal recognition of currently untapped human potential and capabilities of persons with disabilities.

Secondly, improvements in the disability determination system aims to be achieved also through unification and standardisation of the disability assessment criteria, as well as replacement of the current 30 commissions with a single entity. As a result, persons with disabilities will no longer have to be assessed by the various commissions across the country, but the disability finding of the single entity will be valid for all the sectors  – be it social protection, employment, pension, education, etc.

Subsequently, we expect that these changes will also drive fairer and more adequate disability entitlements, such as cash transfers, social services, decent employment or professional rehabilitation, for over 50,000 citizens and their families.

Introduction of all these reforms aims to contribute to the persons with disabilities being better able to exercise their rights. The rights which touch on every aspect of their life: the right to go to school, to live in one’s community, to access health care, to start a family, to engage in political and civic participation, the ability and right to travel - and to have decent work. And this does matter, as we all strive to be recognised and valued for who we are.

Even though this project is specifically aiming to improve lives of persons with disabilities, its significance for whole Montenegrin society cannot be underestimated. Through my work in Montenegro, I have met wonderful persons with different disabilities who have aspirations, knowledge, ideas and capabilities to make Montenegro a better, more prosperous country. The Montenegrin society will be better off only if it achieves lasting inclusion of persons with disabilities and creating conditions that will allow them to apply their skills and abilities, thus meaningfully taking part its development.

None of us can do this alone. Only if we join our efforts together with civil society organizations representing persons with disabilities, the Government, media and the international community, we can come closer to making the promise of leaving no-one behind in Montenegro a reality. And I trust our cooperation, openness to dialogue, exchange of the views and ability to listen and understand each other is going to make this project a lasting and sustained success in Montenegro.

Thank you for your attention.