Challenges

The rise of international due diligence regulations, such as Germany’s Supply Chain Law (LkSG), places increasing human rights obligations on companies and their suppliers. However, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South America – in this case Colombia and Mexico, who are critical players in global supply chains—lack the resources and institutional knowledge to implement these standards. This gap risks exclusion from global markets and contributes to rights violations in production chains. Recognizing this challenge, the triangular cooperation project mobilized the German-Mexican and German-Colombian Chambers of Commerce, local business networks, and GIZ to empower SMEs to integrate human rights due diligence into their operations. The initiative specifically targets knowledge gaps, promotes peer learning, and leverages the influence of business associations to embed sustainability, integrity, and human rights into corporate behavior.

Toward a Solution

This triangular cooperation project between Colombia, Mexico, and Germany offers a scalable model for integrating human rights due diligence (HRDD) in supply chains through private sector leadership. Recognizing the key role that SMEs play in global value chains, the project set out to enhance their capacity to meet international human rights and compliance standards.

At the heart of this initiative are the German-Colombian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Colombia) and the German-Mexican Chamber of Commerce (CAMEXA), which led implementation in collaboration with GIZ’s Alliance for Integrity Programme. These associations brought together networks of SMEs to foster trust, disseminate knowledge, and promote shared values of ethical business practices. The political counterparts—APC Colombia, AMEXCID and GIZ as respective cooperation agencies—ensured alignment with national cooperation strategies.

The project followed a four-legged approach: (1) awareness and education; (2) peer learning and documentation of best practices; (3) trainer development and institutionalization; and (4) collective action and sustainability planning. Over two years, it achieved 100% completion of planned indicators. Key milestones included:

– Over 150 SMEs trained in corporate integrity

– Creation of a trainer network with more than 40 certified professionals

– Documentation of multiple national and international good practices in HRDD

– Two national Train-the-Trainer programs (DEPE), tailored to local contexts

A defining feature of the project was its embedded exit strategy. From mid-2023, coordination responsibilities began transitioning from GIZ to the partner chambers. By 2024, AHK Colombia and CAMEXA assumed full control over key activities—including curriculum development, event moderation, and documentation. This proactive handover strategy guarantees ownership and long-term continuity.

The project also facilitated multi-actor dialogue platforms, enabling companies, civil society, academia, and government agencies to co-create solutions. Business associations led the documentation of two collective action laboratories, and a final systematization report is guiding next steps. Lessons and strategies developed in Colombia and Mexico were informed by and contribute to global HRDD trends, including Germany’s LkSG.

Innovation came in the form of integrating corporate compliance, sustainability, and HRDD under one peer-to-peer model. Alliance for Integrity’s “De Empresas Para Empresas” (DEPE) methodology provided structure, while the chambers localized it through sector-focused content. Colombia leveraged its peace-building context, while Mexico aligned efforts with nearshoring and competitiveness strategies. Germany, for its part, benefited from on-the-ground insights into implementation challenges and adaptation needs.

The project’s success has already gained visibility in regional and global forums and sparked interest in replication. Its model—anchored in chambers, guided by collective learning, and owned by local actors—is a blueprint for effective triangular cooperation that speaks the language of business while upholding universal rights.

This initiative demonstrates that when private sector actors are empowered as agents of change, South-South and triangular cooperation can go beyond policy and translate into business culture shifts. It also shows how bilateral standards like the LkSG can inspire practical transformation when translated into peer-to-peer formats supported by trusted intermediaries. The practice is ready for replication across sectors and regions and provides a rare success story of human rights mainstreaming led by SMEs.