First Lady of the Republic Receives Italian Gold Medal

The First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, was award a Gold Medal by the Italian government after being unanimously chosen by the Scientific Committee of the Pio Manzú International Research Center to receive the high honor.

Dr. Cedeño was presented with the award by Vittoria Saladino, an Italian government official at the Pío Manzú International Conference.

Dr. Cedeño was presented with the award by Vittoria Saladino, an Italian government official at the Pío Manzú International Conference. Mr. Saladino presented the award to Dr. Cedeño, who was attending the conference as guest of honor. The award was given “for her role in implementing national policies in support of the most vulnerable population in the Dominican Republic,” according to the President’s Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

“She promotes social policies for her husband’s administration, generating programs on public health, youth education, single mothers and families, promoting learning, reading and access to technology for low-income families,” Pío Center officials stated in a document read during the ceremony.

The officials expressed their admiration for the First Lady of the Republic “for her decisive support for development in the country; she shows an exceptional ability in the social agenda and identifying priorities to construct a prosperous and solid future for Dominicans.”

The First Lady was named Special Ambassador of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a role through which she has committed to combat malnutrition, hunger and poverty.

Since 1969 the Pío Manzú Center has undertaken international cooperation activities.

The award ceremony was held in the Novelli Theater in Rimini Province, and was attended by important international leaders such as Suzanne Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt; Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Germany’s Minister of Economy; Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates; and Shashi Tharoor, India’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Also, Martin Hirsch, commissioner of youth and active solidarity against poverty; Aimee Mullins, a North American athlete, model and actress; and Aldo Kaslowski, president of TUSAID International, the confederation of Turkish industries and businesses and president of the confederation of Italians entrepreneurs (CIIIM) in Europe, Asia, and the Mediterranean.