Summary

The joint UN Programme (UNDP, UNICEF and RCO) will support State institutions and OPDs to accelerate disability inclusion. Main activities implemented by UNDP are:

• support to revision of the new Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities and drafting of by-laws;
• strengthening capacities and skills of duty bearers and service providers to improve to develop models and implement activities for activation/independent living of persons with disabilities;
• support to drafting of guidelines and strengthening capacities of duty bearers for the implementation of an inclusive and cross-sectoral budgeting in prevention of institutionalization;
• identifying and piloting of key services to support activation, independent living and prevention of institutionalization of person with disabilities in selected municipalities;
• support to stronger participation of persons with different types of disabilities, both women and men in UN programming.

Background

Project was developed based on situation analysis developed in 2021, and consultations with government, the Protector and persons with disabilities, and their representative organizations (OPDs). The project aims to accelerate disability inclusion through addressing gaps in CRPD implementation, budgets, programs and monitoring processes, as well as capacity development of national stakeholders (state institution and OPDs) to effectively contribute to the development and implementation of disability-inclusive policies, systems.

Main projects goals based on the analysis' recommendations are:

Goal 1: 

• support Government to prevent institutionalization and facilitate the transition of persons with disabilities from institutions to family and community-based services and
• facilitate closer engagement between OPDs and the NHRI to monitor implementation of CRPD 

Goal 2:

Assist UN to ensure strong disability inclusion in the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the Common Country Analysis.

The programme will ensure meaningful participation of persons with different types of disabilities, both women and men, and of children with disabilities and parents in all activities, at all stages of social life through the provision of support to prevention of institutionalization and de-institutionalization and strengthening of family and community-based gender-responsive services.

Project Outcome

• The legal and policy framework is reviewed to provide recommendations for deinstitutionalization, the prevention of institutionalization, and recommendations are made to support independent living, activation, supported decision-making mechanisms, and for gender mainstreaming.
• The capacity of service providers, including OPDs and local self-governments, is enhanced to provide a wide array of gender-responsive services (social and child protection, activation, health, family support, education, etc.) to facilitate living independently and in the community.
• The needs of adults, men and women, regarding community-based support, and of community-based systems are assessed, and recommendations for revision of the systems are developed.
• Cost analysis of at least one priority community-based services is carried out.
• Based on new assessment of needs and systems to support persons with disabilities, at least one gender-responsive key service for independent living in family/community developed in line with CRPD standards and piloted.
• Guidelines for disability inclusive, gender-responsive and cross-sectoral budgeting in areas of development of family and community-based services, independent living and are developed with the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare and local governments.
• The capacity of the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Economic Development, local governments, OPDs and the NHRI to develop, implement, advocate for, and monitor the implementation of disability inclusive and gender-responsive budgeting guidelines to enhance activation and independent living in the community is enhanced.
• Updates to the Common Country Analyses (CCA) and the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) are inclusive of rights of persons with disabilities. 

Additional links
https://unprpd.org/programme/montenegro