ESCWA Deputy Executive Secretary Khawla Mattar received the UN Secretary-General Award for Courage, in a ceremony held 25 October 2016 in New York, on the occasion of the United Nations Staff Day.
The United Nations Secretary-General Awards recognize the outstanding work of Secretariat staff members who contribute above and beyond the call of duty and advance innovative projects. Ms Mattar received the award for courage, honoring her work in accomplishing her tasks and upholding the values of the United Nations in a physically dangerous environment.
Before her appointment at ESCWA, Ms. Mattar served as the Director of the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria , which has been the scene of a violent crisis since 2011.
In her first statement upon accepting the award, Mattar said :”The Syrian people deserves all our efforts and more. This award is not mine alone, but that of the entire UN team and the Syrian people.”
The UNSG Awards programme was established in 1996 as the UN21 Awards and renamed United Nations Secretary-General Awards in 2016. The examples the award winners set are meant to inspire colleagues to replicate good practices and in making strides to invigorate the way the Organization delivers its programmes and services. By rewarding initiatives that have the potential to shape UN culture, the Secretary-General recognizes staff members’ dedication and efforts.
This year, the Awards were presented in the following categories: Managing Change; Courage; Collegiality; and Greening the UN.