Launch of the Responsible Business Helpdesk Mexico - RBH Mexico

The Business Coordinating Council (CCE) and the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ) invite representatives of companies, business chambers and experts on human rights and business, for the official launch and presentation of the Responsible Business Helpdesk in Mexico (or RBH Mexico), which will provide advisory services, information, awareness raising and redirection to service providers for Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence.

Context

Today, economic relations and the creation of added value extend throughout the world. Integration into global supply chains offers producing countries great opportunities for economic development and diversification. However, these complex supply networks can hide violations of human rights and social and environmental standards. Those directly affected are often the workers in the supply chains, local communities, and the environment and climate.

In response, sustainability and human rights and environmental due diligence are becoming increasingly important. Fair and sustainable production is increasingly integrated into national legislation. In France and Japan, for example, or in Germany with the Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains Act (LkSG), passed in 2021 and due to come into force in 2023. In addition, the European Union has recently aproved a directive in this area, which is expected to come into force in the next few years. These legislations require companies under their jurisdiction to analyze the risks in their supply chains, take appropriate preventive measures and review their effectiveness and repair damages when necessary. While these legislations create a new legal due diligence responsibility for German and European companies, producing companies that are part of the supply chain of these obligated companies will be under pressure to comply with the new transparency and sustainability demands of their buyers.

To strengthen the knowledge and capabilities of Mexican-based suppliers to adapt and comply with these new regulations and requirements, the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) and the German Technical Cooperation in Mexico (GIZ), have created the first Responsible Business Helpdesk in Latin American, known as the RBH Mexico. The RBH Mexico will be a local advisory service that will inform, sensitize and advise companies in Mexico on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence standards and requirements and connect them with local experts and service providers. The vision of RBH is to be a national reference point on responsible business conduct, bringing together producers, service providers and sustainability initiatives.

The objective of RBH Mexico is to serve as a gateway for local companies and organizations and to strengthen both the understanding and capacities of producing companies, business chambers or service providers to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence. This will strengthen the capacities of the private sector in Mexico to respond to new international regulations, improving the competitiveness and sustainability of Mexican companies and creating stronger and more resilient supply chains.

Launch Event

This event will be the official launch of the Responsible Business Helpdesk in Mexico, hosted within the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial.

During the event, an introduction to the new international regulations and how they are relevant for local companies will be shared. Also, participants will learn how to access RBH services and understand the scope of the different services offered by RBH Mexico. Finally, the global network of RBHs to which the RBH Mexico joins will be presented and a space for discussion will be opened for the exchange of challenges, possible good practices and needs that could be addressed by the mexican Helpdesk. In addition, together with the interested participants of the event, the RBH Mexico multi-stakeholder dialogue and exchange network will begin to be formed.

Who is the event aimed at?

This launch event is aimed at the different stakeholders and interest groups in the field of Human Rights and Business in Mexico. In particular, this event will be relevant for representatives of companies and business chambers that can access RBH Mexico's services or disseminate them among their suppliers and supply chains. It will also be relevant for experts and service providers in the field of corporate due diligence. Finally, the event will be of interest to representatives of civil society, academia and the public sector working on human rights issues.