SUBMIT YOUR COMPLAINT

The MRDH is jointly operated by a Mexican and a German Coordination Unit. The two coordination units are supported by an independent Panel of Experts.

• The Coordination Unit Mexico is operated by Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL). It takes the lead on case management, incoming complaints, and communication with complainants and coordinates the involvement of the Panel of Experts.
  
• The Coordination Unit Germany supports the Coordination Unit in Mexico in case handling, communication with experts and companies as well as reporting. The Coordination Unit in Germany is operated by Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and the German Institute for Human Rights (GIHR).

• The Panel of Experts consists of independent experts in various areas of human rights. Their main responsibility is to conduct impartial investigations of the subject matter of the complaints. The experts, furthermore, mediate between companies and complainants  and propose remediation solutions.

Coordination Unit (Mexico)	Expert Panel	Coordination Unit (Germany)
– Liaison office in Mexico – Responsible for case management – Main contact point for complainants	– Made up of independent Human Rights experts – Conducts case investigation – Route development for case resolution – Develops prevention + remedial action plan	– Liaison office in Germany – Supports communication – Technical Advisory – Four-eyes principle on decisions
Hosted by:		Hosted by:

Individuals or groups and their representatives can use the MRDH to claim remediation for abuses of human and environmental rights. These groups and individuals may include, but are not limited to, workers in plants of the member companies and their suppliers, subcontracted workers, informal workers and members of surrounding communities. The abuse must have occurred in Mexico and must be linked to a member company or a company in the supply chain which is linked to the operations, products or services of a member company.

For further information on procedure and admissibility of complaints see Rules of Procedure.

To fall under the scope of the MRDH, the following four criteria must be met:

1. The complaint is based on a human rights violation occurring in the supply chain of a member company which may consist of, inter alia;
   
   • labor rights violations,
   • discrimination and harassment,
   • infringement of community rights, 
   • breaches of privacy and data protection, 
   • forced labor and human trafficking,
   • violations of indigenous rights,
   • health and safety violations, 
   • freedom of association and collective bargaining rights,
   • land rights and displacement,
   • environmental rights and 
   • negative impacts of corruption.
2. A company within the supply chain of one of the member companies of the MRDH caused or contributed to the human rights or environmental violation.
3. The human rights or environmental violation occurred on the territory of the Republic of Mexico.
   
4. Subject matter occurred or still has adverse effects or risks at times after the inauguration of the MRDH in May 2024.

Complaints can be directly filed with the MRDH. Alternatively, if the criteria stated above are met, grievances which initially have been reported to one of the internal grievance mechanisms of the member companies can be appealed through the MRDH if the complainant was not satisfied with the complaint handling procedure.

The following companies are members of the MRDH:

• BMW AG
• Mercedes-Benz Group AG
• ZF Friedrichshafen AG

The MRDH can be accessed through the following channels:

WhatsApp

Complainants can access the MRDH through WhatsApp in Spanish or English by clicking here, or texting “MRDH” to +1 604-239-9843, or by scanning the QR Code below:

Please note that for data protection and security reasons the WhatsApp Chat is operated by Ulula; therefore Ulula will appear as a contact in your WhatsApp chat.

Webform

Complainants can access the MRDH by filling a webform in Spanish or English by clicking here, or by scanning the QR Code below:

The MRDH is governed in a multi-stakeholder approach by the Multi-Stakeholder-Board and the Executive Committee. The board and the committee are not involved in the case handling and do not have access to case related information.

• The Multi-Stakeholder Board: It comprises all stakeholders of the MRDH and is the key decision-making steering entity of the MRDH. It is responsible for budget approval, acceptance of reports and suggesting changes in core documents of the MRDH.
• Executive Committee: The Executive committee consists of six elected members of the Multi-Stakeholder Board and is responsible for operational decisions and overseeing the MRDH implementation.

The following organizations are member of the MRDH Multi-Stakeholder Board:

The MRDH is jointly financed by MRDH member companies and the German Federal Government (German Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development).

The more detail a complainant can provide about a potential or actual violation of rights or adverse effects, the more targeted the investigations conducted can be. However, the MRDH acknowledges that provision of information may bear the risk of loss of anonymity and reprisals for the complainant. The complainant will be asked to provide the following information:

• Description of the problem or possible violation of your right(s) and the (potential) adverse effects and risks (threats, reprisals, etc.)
• Location of the reported issue (options: state, municipality)
• Description of the company and the location to which the complaint relates and reference to the connection with one or more MRDH member companies
• Indication of any immediate risks and risk of retaliation 
• Communication preferences: phone call, WhatsApp or email.

Additional information can be provided optionally.

Retaliation in any form is unacceptable and contradicts the values and objectives of the MRDH. The MRDH reaffirms its dedication to creating a safe environment where grievances can be aired without fear, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.

For further information on protection against retaliation, please see the MRDH Anti-Retaliation Policy

In case of immediate risks for the complainant, additional protection measures can be taken by the MRDH. For further information, please see Immediate Protection Mechanism

Yes, you can raise your complaint anonymously through the webform and WhatsApp (see above). 

The system also allows for anonymous two-way communication. This means, if you agree, the MRDH team can contact you without seeing your contact information (phone number or email-address).

For further information about potential remediation, please see the Right to Remedy

Environmental harm can cause or contribute to negative impacts on human rights, such as the right to food, health and water. Such cases with a link between the negative environmental impact and a specific human rights violation shall be admissible before the MRDH, with the general admissibility criteria being applicable. There shall be no limitation to environmental damage and complaints may target one or more specific companies or their representatives. Complaints against the industry as such shall not be admissible. 

Corruption can be one of the root causes of human rights violations. Such cases, where acts of corruption cause or contribute to a negative impact on human rights, are admissible before the MRDH.