Ms. Marina Vujaćić is an expert and the activist for the rights of persons with disabilities, especially youth and women with disabilities, and non-governmental activist for more than twelve years. She was a Montenegrin Candidate for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
During her professional engagement in the NGO Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro - UMHCG (from 2011 till 2017 as the Executive Director), she cooperated with numerous other organizations and institutions, including the European Disability Forum, the International Disability Alliance, UNICEF, UNDP, Disability Rights Promotion International, European Network for Independent Living, and local non-governmental organizations and institution of Ombudsman.
Besides that, she has a long-standing experience in cooperation with Montenegrin State and local self-government authorities, through planning, preparation, implementation, and monitoring of policies related to human rights and disability rights. In addition, she was a State Secretary of the Ministry of European Affairs of Montenegro from 31st August 2017 until 1st March 2018. In the function of State Secretary, she was appointed to a Minister's proposal as an expert. During her mandate, she was a President of the Consultative body for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy for informing citizens about the European Union and membership preparations for the period 2014-2018. She also coordinated the preparation of the Program of Accession of Montenegro to the EU 2018-2020, and developed the first Mid-term Work Program of the Ministry for the period 2018-2020. It was the first three-year Work Program of some ministry in the Government of Montenegro.
She began her activism in the non-governmental sector as a trainee, immediately after her studies. Marina Vujačić is an expert associate of the magazine "Pogled", in the edition of the Engineers Chamber of Montenegro in which she publishes authorial articles. She is voluntarily engaged as coordinator of the DisabilityINFO portal www.disabilityinfo.me the only and unique portal in Montenegro that focuses on informing and raising awareness on disability, whose editorial policy follows the model of human rights. As a Sociologist, she was an Independent expert in the TV show „Bez reserve/Without reserve“, with the aim to present the civic profile and life values of public figures.
She started to work with people with disabilities during her studies, as a researcher and through a specialist graduate thesis: The Labour Market - rules and stereotypes, with a special segment related to the position of persons with disabilities, Roma, and women in the labor market.
Apart from training and lecturing experience through work on numerous training and workshops in NGOs, faculties, and schools, as an NGO activist, she has expertise in writing, planning, and implementing of projects. Strategic planning, swot analysis, pest analysis, public relations, planning and conducting advocacy campaigns and awareness-raising campaigns, and advanced skills in reporting, analytical, and research work.
As a sociologist, she has the knowledge and she has applied a large number of research methods and techniques: questionnaires, focus groups, interviews, and desk and field research.
During her mandate, the UMHCG received the latest standard for raising the quality of organization and service delivery - ISO 9001: 2015.
As a representative of NGOs, she was a member of various Governmental working groups and bodies:
- The Operational Body for informing the public about negotiations of Montenegro to the EU 2014 – 2017;
- The Council for the development of Non-Governmental organizations 2014 – 2017;
- The Sectoral Monitoring Committee for IPA IV component – Development of Human Resources formed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare 2015 – 2017;
- The Partnership and Advisory Committee in the ReLOaD Project, UNDP 2017;
- The Ad hoc Supervisory Board for monitoring the respect of children's rights in Montenegro, UNICEF 2017;
- The Working Group for the monitoring of the negotiation process in Chapter 23 - Justice and Fundamental Rights 2017,
- The Election Jury for the Best Practices of local self-government, the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro 2016;
- The Working Groups for the Analysis of the Compliance of Montenegrin Legislation with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, 2015;
- The Working group for preparation of the Annual Information on the implementation of the Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities and the two-year Action Plans, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare 2012 – 2015; and
- The Council for the care of people with disabilities, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare 2012 – 2013.
In addition to advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities through the work of the working groups, she often has conducted independent policy analyses and monitoring of their implementation. She has prepared over 10 studies, reports, and publications in the field of human rights of persons with disabilities, employment, education, independent living and participation in political and public life, etc.
In Montenegrin society and abroad she is well known as a promoter of the human rights of persons with disabilities, self-advocacy, self-representation of persons with disabilities, deinstitutionalization, and independent living.
Besides writing and presenting the Alternative Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva during the consideration of the Initial Report of Montenegro by the Committee, she also wrote submissions for the CEDAW and CRC Committee during 2017 and 2018.
She is the author/co-author or editor of follows studies and reports:
- The Author of the Alternative Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2017, in the edition of the informal Coalition of organizations of persons with disabilities, with the mentoring support of the European Disability Forum and the International Disability Alliance;
- The Author of the publication: Conditions for the participation of persons with disabilities in the political life of Montenegro - The right to vote, 2016, published by UMHCG and NGO MANS
- The Author of the Study of Practical Policy Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, 2015, published by UMHCG;
- Co-author of the Report on Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Montenegro, 2011, published by UMHCG;
- Co-author of the Holistic Report on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2013, published by UMHCG, and Disability Rights Promotion International;
- Co-author of the Manual on Public Advocacy and Policy Making, 2015, published by UMHCG
- Co-author Publications for police work with marginalized social groups, 2017, published by the Ministry of Interior and Council for Civic Control of Police Work
- Editor of the magazine DisabilityINFO, published by UMHCG
- Editor of Practical Policy Summary: Personal Assistance - The Key to Independent Living, 2013 published by UMHCG.
Marina Vujačić was born on June 25, 1986, in Nikšić, where she finished elementary school "Branko Višnjić" (Krstac, Golija), and Gymnasium "Stojan Cerović". She specialized in Sociology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić (University of Montenegro), in December 2009.
She speaks fluently English and has basic knowledge of several other languages, including Spanish and Russian.
Her full CV is available at: https://umhcg.com/menadzment-udruzenja/marina-vujacic/
Marina Vujačić is a person with a disability. She lives independently from her 15th.
