Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Mr Slaven Radunović today participated in the Conference titled: “Employment of persons with disabilities”, organised by the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro as a part of the project: “Enhancing capacities with the aim of strengthening changes”, supported by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.

In his introductory speech, the Chairperson of the Committee said that the process of joining the European Union implied the strong social changes which should be felt by all citizens, and particularly by vulnerable categories of citizens, such as persons with disabilities. The essential progress in the process of joining the European Union for persons with disabilities, according to him, will be mirrored in improving the availability of public institutions, increase of employment rate and improvement of accession to information. Chairperson Radunović added that it was particularly necessary to improve the implementation of the Law on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of the Persons with Disabilities in view of motivating employees to hire persons with disabilities and help thus their integration into society.

Mr Radunović stressed that the employment of persons with disabilities and improvement of availability of public institutions were the subject of discussion of Montenegrin and European MPs at the X SAPC meeting. With regard to that, he emphasised that the Parliament of Montenegro planned to provide an adequate access to the building for persons with disabilities, which would provide the impulse to other institutions to start solving that problem.

The participants of the Conference agreed that the European values were most visible in practices addressing the rights of vulnerable social categories, and that it was necessary to improve those practices through improvement of application of the relevant laws and other available mechanisms. For the purpose of improving the quality of life of disabled persons, it is necessary to provide an equal access to education and employment, and access to institutions which protect and guarantee their rights.

In addition to Chairperson of the Committee, the introductory speeches were delivered by Ambassador Mr Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, EU State Secretary and Chief Negotiator, Ms Edina Dešić Perazić, Director of the Directorate for Employment and Labour Market at the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Šućko Baković, Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, and Mr Alberto Cammarata, Head of Political, European Integration and Trade Section in EU Delegation.