COPARMEX signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Alliance for Integrity in Mexico

The Mexican Employers' Confederation, COPARMEX and the Alliance for Integrity signed a Memorandum of Understanding, the first step to become a national hub of the Alliance for Integrity in the country. With a strong network in place since 2017, this partnership is a major step towards promoting ethical business practices and integrity across Mexico.

The signing ceremony took place at two important moments: first at the COPARMEX board meeting on 17 January, followed by the formal presentation a week later on 24 January at the forum "Business Integrity and Due Diligence in Supply Chains", attended by more than 150 representatives of business, civil society, academia, international organizations and government, held at the Senate of the Mexican Republic.

The new agreement will allow COPARMEX to start the process to become an official national hub of the Alliance for Integrity and use its programmes and products to promote ethical action and compliance in companies and their value chain with didactic tools and trainings. “This sets off as an important milestone of our sustainability in the whole region. Mexico has historically been an important and vanguard country to the Alliance for Integrity. A vast number of publications, training programmes and other of our offers have been developed or contributed by the large amount of knowledge of our Mexican network”, said Marco Perez, Liaison Officer of the Alliance for Integrity in Mexico by the Global Solidarity Initiative of the GIZ. "These programmes must be sustainable over time, and to this purpose, all economic resources collected from any workshop, certification or training will be reinvested by COPARMEX in the same programmes to expand their coverage in the country", explains Leonor Quiroz, the President of the Ethics and Integrity Commission of COPARMEX.

During the forum on "Business Integrity and Due Diligence in Supply Chains," there was an extensive discussion about the private sector's responsibility in upholding human rights and the role of due diligence in managing supply chains. Valuable insights were provided by organizations such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The event, organized by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) had the active participation of Mexicans, as well as prominent guests from Germany, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, who enriched the conversation with their diverse perspectives. The forum also reflected on international regulations, including the German Due Diligence Law and the upcoming European Union Directive on Corporate Due Diligence.

More information:

Mexican Employers' Confederation (COPARMEX)

Article on COPARMEX website

Activities of Alliance for Integrity in Mexico