Catalogue of Local Inclusive Public Policies

Public policies
catalogue

Logo CIPDH

Great Agreement for Equal Treatment of Mexico City (GATI)

Download in PDF
Icono localización

Ciudad de México - Mexico

Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Range of Demographic Size
1,000,000 inhabitants or more (metropolis)

5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere in the world.

5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.

5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.

A - Full integration of population dynamics into sustainable development with equality and respect for human rights.

American Convention on Human Rights

Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in economic, social and cultural rights (San Salvador Protocol).

• Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará)

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Summary

The Great Agreement for Equal Treatment (GATI) is an initiative by the Council for the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination in Mexico City (COPRED) that seeks to include the private sector in the fight against discrimination and prompt a human rights, inclusion, and nondiscrimination perspective across the companies subscribing to it.

 

Its aim is to recognize and support those companies that take a step forward beyond their legal obligations with regard to diversity and inclusion and that seek to be a referent in the promotion and respect of the right to nondiscrimination within their own spaces and spheres of competence.

 

Since COPRED’s creation, near 80% of discrimination cases addressed by the council are related to the workplace. Furthermore, according to data from the latest Survey on Discrimination in Mexico City (EDIS 2021), which measures the level of perception of discrimination among persons 18 years old or older living in the city, the phenomenon of discrimination is perceived by local citizens with a score of 7.5 in a scale of 0–10, where 10 means high discrimination, and points out that the main realm for discrimination is the workplace (36.9%).

 

Consequently, the GATI—whose precedents are the Good Business Practice Forum, held between 2014 and 2017, and the placement of a “Plaque for Nondiscrimination” in companies and commercial establishments, which was later made mandatory with the amendment of article 10 of the Law of Commercial Establishments—became one the most significant strategies of COPRED to counteract the phenomenon of nondiscrimination in companies.

 

After almost six years of efforts, this strategy has managed to establish itself as a local leading resource. Proof of this is the fact that companies that are not part of the GATI request lectures and workshops on a variety of subjects. To date, eight special workshops have been held on equality and nondiscrimination, and approximately more than thirty lectures on diversity and equal opportunity employment. Other subjects have been addressed as well, such as gender discrimination, corporate racism, LGBTI+ discrimination, and disabilities, among other issues related to historically discriminated groups.

 

There are currently 45 companies signatory to the GATI representing at least 130,000 workers who benefit from these policies, among them individuals from priority assistance groups referred to in the Political Constitution of Mexico City. The signatory companies are AMEDIRH; Accenture; Dow Química; Productos Medix; Scotiabank; HSBC; Fandeli; Bufete de Refrigeración Industrial; Stefanini; Ford; AR Consultoría; Altamirano, Mendieta, Bravo y Asociados; AT&T; Logen; Yoliztli Artesanal; Unilever; Talengo; Pentafonint S.A. de C.V.; Tyco Electronics; Sekura; Timeout; Pfizer; EY; BPO&N; SODEXO Beneficios e Incentivos; Sodexo On-Site; Grupo Farmacias; Bodas LGBTTTI; Lubrizol; Daimler; BASF; Western Union; Novartis; Fibra UNO (FUNO); Programación de Recursos; Gabscon; KPMG; Colgate Palmolive; Ejercicio Vital; Nielsen; Gilead; Heroica Tattoo; Conekta; Kavak; y S&P Global.

 

GATI has forged alliances that promote a nondiscrimination culture and counteract the normalization of stigmas, stereotypes, and prejudices that negatively affect the realm of work. Such alliances resulted in the creation of a network of companies headed by COPRED, where diversity and inclusion strategies are shared and windows of opportunity are identified for politics of inclusion. In 2021, as a result of GATI’s advancements, a renewed platform was presented for corporate outreach in the fight against discrimination.

Implementation Date:

Start: 09 / 1 / 2016

End: End: Currently in force

Interculturalism and non-discrimination - Fight against discrimination, xenophobia and racism
Show all
The main concern associated with the issues addressed by GATI is discrimination in the private sector, for it is no small matter that around 80% of the cases of discrimination heard by the council occur at the workplace. Thus, the GATI is known for being an innovative policy both for the public administration of Mexico City’s government and other great Latin American metropolises, given that it functions under a coresponsibility focus between the government, the private sector, the academy, and civil society.
The main purpose of the Great Agreement for Equal Treatment of Mexico City (CDMX) is to prevent discrimination and promote equal treatment within Mexico City’s private sector. Likewise, the GATI sets out the following specific objectives: 1.- identify those companies that take a step forward beyond their legal obligations to become models of equal opportunity employment policies and the promotion of equal treatment in Mexico City, 2.- prevent cases of discrimination in the workplace, 3.- link COPRED with companies advocating equality, 4.- promote the message of diversity and inclusion in the private sector, 5.- contribute to the fight against discrimination, protecting the labor rights of those individuals who inhabit and move within Mexico City, 6.- train the corporate sector in building skills to contribute to the fight against discrimination in the workplace, 7.- prompt a dialogue among companies to promote and increase efforts in the diversity and inclusion strategies that are implemented, and 8.- forge alliances between the COPRED and the private sector to promote equal opportunity projects and programs in all spheres.
The COPRED is the agency responsible for the design, implementation, assessment, and monitoring of the GATI. The council examines corporate policies, approves or rejects their adherence, advocates the adoption of an equal opportunity employment policy and offers training in that regard. Its role in public policy is centered on ensuring an inclusive workplace environment in the private sector, complying with the Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in Mexico City; Mexican Official Norm, NOM 025, United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The Great Agreement for Equal Treatment of Mexico City’s policy is part of Point 1: Equality and Rights, 1.6 Right to Equality and Inclusion of Mexico City’s 2019–2024 Government Program. The GATI promotes articulation across institutions through the joint work with other government agencies at the local level and with different administrative levels such as municipalities, a territorial boundary. It is linked with the Secretariat of Labor and Employment Promotion. Likewise, it works along with the aforementioned civil society organizations.
At the international level, the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; the ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy; Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), and its social policy; the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; and the Mexican Official Norm, NOM 025. At the national level, the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and the Federal Labor Law; and, at the local level, the Political Constitution of Mexico City, as well as the Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in Mexico City.
Private sector
Seminars/events
Social/citizen participation
Education and training
The call to adhere to the GATI opens yearly, and it consists of six stages: request of accession, absence of proceedings before the COPRED on alleged discrimination grounds, equal opportunity employment form, training at management levels, incorporation of an equal opportunity employment and nondiscrimination policy. Training processes are held twice a year and include topics such as human rights and discrimination, legal framework, case assistance, and equal opportunity employment. Other actions stemming from work with the private sector and the GATI: Good Practices for Labor Inclusion Contest, five meetings with companies, and the establishment of a network of companies as a result of the following steps: - First declaration of companies committed to equal treatment; - “Great Agreement Businesses in the Face of COVID-19” campaign, which promotes antidiscrimination measures to prevent contagion in businesses; - “Discrimination in the Workplace: inclusive businesses” virtual roundtable to debate on the manifestations of workplace discrimination; - Signing of guidelines to generate working spaces free of sexual harassment; and - Alliance with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to advance the “Cities Program” for the strengthening of socioeconomic integration of migrant people, refugees, and forcibly displaced people through access to decent work.
The GATI is an innovative policy both for the public administration of Mexico City’s government and other Latin American great metropolises, for it implements a coresponsibility framework between the government, the private sector, the academy, and civil society. It is innovative because, for the first time at local and national levels, a policy comes into effect that brings these sectors together around such a sensitive issue as equal treatment and nondiscrimination from a human rights perspective in the workplace. By joining efforts with the private sector, a culture of equality and nondiscrimination is fostered, which ensures full access to labor rights and other human rights that are interdependent for the full enjoyment of dignified work.
The GATI has the following partners: 45 signatory companies and civil society organizations such as Asylum Access México, Sin Fronteras, Racismo MX, GENDES, Alianza Éntrale, Yaaj México, Sin Colectivo, and Lentes Púrpura, with whom projects and joint actions have been developed around issues of racism, disabilities, and migration, among others. Moreover, there are academic partners who offer specialized workshops and international agencies such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Last, alliances forged with relevant corporate actors should be underscored, such as the Business Coordinating Council (CCE)—with whom a collaborative agreement was signed in February 2022—the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Mexico City (CESA), and the Chamber of Commerce of the Mexico City (CANACO).
Since its implementation, the GATI has fostered corporate social participation through different mechanisms. First, with the Good Business Practices Forum; then, during the accession process, with the inclusive companies workshops; and, currently, with corporate meetings, paramount to a permanent and enriching dialogue. These spaces have created participative dynamics for the identification of issues and opportunities to position the issue of equality across the private sector, with the exchange of successful experiences among companies and the achievement of open spaces for labor inclusion for historically discriminated populations. This is possible with the active understanding of the needs of both companies and employed individuals, as well as with the training and the raising of awareness around nondiscrimination and inclusion issues. Likewise, in December 2019, the first forum on discrimination and sexual harassment was held (“Discrimination and Sexual Harassment: Good Practices and Care Models”) with the aim of preventing and addressing these phenomena in public and private bodies. The event was attended by 360 people, many of them from the private sector, who discussed the issues related to the phenomenon of sexual harassment and set out recommendations for the prevention and treatment of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Every year, the council incorporates the GATI to its Annual Operational Program and Mexico City’s Congress approves it. The budget is destined to the hiring of operational staff, leaflet printing, primary research on the effects of inclusive policies, and the temporary hiring of workshop coordinators for special courses.
Companies signatory to the GATI must renew their adherence after three years of its signing with the purpose of keeping up-to-date on business developments regarding equality and nondiscrimination. This renewal allows companies to adapt their policies, guidelines, and protocols to national and international regulations, as well as to continue raising awareness and training on the importance of nondiscrimination. In the past two years, the first three corporate gatherings of GATI companies were held with the aim of sparking dialogue about diversity and inclusion strategies being implemented in the workplace, generating an exchange of experiences and setting a common agenda to help expand the scope of these efforts. Furthermore, as part of the monitoring of its inclusive policies, the COPRED requests companies to submit the good practices they have been implementing since their accession.
Local goverment
There are currently 45 companies from different sectors and sizes taking part in the GATI and a further 5 are being considered for accession. Before being admitted to the GATI, more than half of the signatory companies did not have an equal opportunity employment policy in place, whereas now all of them have one. Eight specialized workshops have been held on equality and nondiscrimination, ranging from gender-based discrimination, corporate racism, and LGBTTIQ+ discrimination, among others. In 2019, a survey was submitted to companies about the status, results, and impact of their actions, and from 2016 to 2019, 10 of the 22 companies that completed the survey were engaged in 51 actions in support of equality and nondiscrimination. Of these, most of them were inclusive and leveling measures, and, to a lesser extent, affirmative actions directed to priority care groups. The effects of these actions was reflected in a culture of harassment and violence prevention, an inclusive working environment that helped increase productivity, an increase in job applications by persons with disabilities and LBGTI+ people, as well as more accessible offices.
Local.
COPRED

Instrumentos

5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere in the world.

5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.

5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.

A - Full integration of population dynamics into sustainable development with equality and respect for human rights.
American Convention on Human Rights
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in economic, social and cultural rights (San Salvador Protocol).
• Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará)
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Location

Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Range of Demographic Size
1,000,000 inhabitants or more (metropolis)

Contact details

Other projects from #CiudadesInclusivas

/* Educacion = 2 Empleo = 14 Género y diversidad sexual = 8 Interculturalidad y no discriminación = 21 Medio ambiente = 18 Movilidad Humana = 7 patrimonio e identidad cultural = 88 Salud = 25 Seguridad = 31 Vivienda = 30 */