LaMP Manager Melissa Saucedo delivered speech at a launch event, introducing the Guatemalan responsible recruitment association (GAREX) – the first responsible recruiter’s association in the Latin America region. LaMP helped to establish GAREX as an organization affiliated with the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce in 2023 to develop mutual accountability among members, help affiliated recruiters differentiate within the market, and address systemic inefficiencies to make Guatemala a more competitive source country.
In her remarks, Melissa stressed GAREX’s potential to bridge the gap between worker and opportunity and that the association has been already contributing to the prosperity of thousands of Guatemalans. GAREX is uniquely positioned as a private-sector solution to promote the Guatemalan workforce and bridge that gap with the private sector abroad. GAREX is a trailblazing solution paving the way in increasing Guatemala’s competitiveness as a source country for seasonal employment.
The launch of GAREX has been supported by a variety of policymakers:
The Undersecretary Against Sexual Violence and Trafficking in Persons (SVET) posted on Facebook that “This initiative contributes to the generation of safe work opportunities, as well as prevention of sexual violence, exploitation, and human trafficking in contexts of labor mobility. “
Congresswoman Carolina Orellana posted “I see a lot of potential in this great business alliance between countries for our Guatemala and above all, it fills me with pride to see that many women are the promoters and protagonists of this important platform.”
The initiative also sparked attention of major media within the region such as Diario de Centro América as well as Guatemala’s largest newspaper Prensa Libre.
Find more information about GAREX in our one-pager here.