Yet again, our Hillary has been recognized, this time internationally, and for some achievements that may have flown beneath the radar of some, but of which we here were well aware. Chatham House, London, honored her with their very prestigious 2013 Prize, today, presented by HRH The Duke of York.
Brava, Hillary! Best congratulations, Mme. Secretary!
Award Ceremony
HRH The Duke of York presented Secretary Clinton with a crystal award and scroll signed by HM The Queen at a ceremony at Banqueting House on the evening of Friday 11 October. The ceremony included speeches from Secretary Clinton and the Rt Hon William Hague, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Winner 2013 – Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Clinton has been awarded this year’s Chatham House Prize in recognition of her significant and impressive contribution to international diplomacy as US Secretary of State and her work on behalf of gender equality and opportunities for women and girls.
During her tenure at the State Department, Hillary Clinton decisively drove a new era in US diplomatic engagement. She was instrumental in re-orientating the strategic focus of the United States towards the Asia-Pacific region. She was successful both in multilateral diplomacy − helping to develop new international frameworks, such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition – and in bilateral negotiations, brokering an agreement between Turkey and Armenia to reopen their border and negotiating a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
Her creation and implementation of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) made a bold comment on the importance of comprehensive diplomacy and ‘civilian power’. Her understanding and use of public diplomacy demonstrated that values and ideas must be promoted through two-way dialogue, especially in the age of social media.
Secretary Clinton was equally able to tackle acute challenges in international affairs and to call on the necessary skills and tools when needed. Working in partnership with key allies in both the UN and NATO to protect civilians in Libya in 2011 was a prime example.
Secretary Clinton used her personal standing and visibility as a campaigner on the global stage to support educational and economic opportunities for women and girls. She incorporated more women into peace-building initiatives at the UN, and at the State Department she created the position of ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues.
She led a global campaign for efficient, modern cooking stoves, helping to reduce the 1.9 million premature deaths per year from smoke inhalation on open cooking fires, predominantly among women in developing countries. Her work to integrate women’s rights with broader development goals backed up her long-held belief that ‘it is no longer acceptable to discuss women’s rights as separate from human rights’.
English: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah host a town hall meeting to discuss the release of the first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, “Leading Through Civilian Power,” with USAID and Department of State employees, in the Atrium Hall of the Ronald Reagan Building. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here she is at the banquet this evening receiving the scroll from Prince Andrew.
This is a twitpic from UK Foreign Minister William Jefferson Hague.
P.S. Nice shout-out in the award ceremony to my Twitter buddy, Kevin Rudd!
Still4Hill 