(8 September 2011) The Government of Guatemala awarded its highest national honour, the Order of Quetzal in the Grade of Grand Cross, to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), for its work towards economic and social development of the region.
The award was presented today by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Haroldo Rodas Melgar, in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the regional organization of the United Nations in Santiago, Chile. The Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena, received the award on behalf of the organization.
"ECLAC is one of the organizations which is the most open to and focused on the problems in the region," stated Rodas. "It has conducted important studies on the most diverse economic, social and environmental issues, and many of them have been determining factors in policymaking in our governments," he stressed.
The minister also thanked ECLAC for its quick response to the call for cooperation as a result of the natural disasters which have hit Guatemala and all of Central America. "My country is in debt to ECLAC. It has provided us with appropriate guidelines for adopting effective measures to overcome the economic and social implications of the disasters. For this reason, we give recognition to an institution which we feel we belong to," he said.
The Executive Secretary of ECLAC thanked the Government of Guatemala for the honour awarded, which she also considered as "a recognition of multilateralism and of the United Nations as a group."
"This award has a very important meaning. The Quetzal is a symbol of excellence, wisdom, depth and spirituality, and it brings us closer to the Maya people. It is a great honour for ECLAC to receive this award," stated Alicia Bárcena.
"Guatemala and Central America are an example in areas such as integration, intraregional trade and the fiscal covenant that this region needs," she said.
Among those present at the ceremony were the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erick Maldonado and the Ambassador to Chile, Gustavo López Calderón, who are part of the Government of Guatemala delegation.
Other directors from agencies of the United Nations systems in the region accompanied the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena.
Any queries should be addressed to the ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section. E-mail: dpisantiago@cepal.org; Telephone: (56 2) 210 2040.
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