Mexico ratifies ILO Convention No. 176 on Safety and Health in Mines and opens new opportunities to advance Responsible Business Conduct...

International labour standards and due diligence

Mexico ratifies ILO Convention No. 176 on Safety and Health in Mines and opens new opportunities to advance Responsible Business Conduct (RBC)

The ratification of Convention No. 176 creates an opportunity to continue advancing the promotion of Responsible Business Conduct and due diligence practices in the mining sector, strengthening and building on the work that the RBCLAC Project already carries out with enterprises and public authorities to improve the prevention of labour risks, including those related to occupational safety and health and labour compliance.

12 December 2025

MEXICO CITY (ILO News) - On 19 November 2025, Mexico ratified ILO Convention No. 176 on Safety and Health in Mines, a regulatory milestone that strengthens the protection of workers in one of the country's most strategic and high-risk sectors.

Mining is a strategic sector for the national economy. According to the Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX), the mining-metallurgical sector contributed approximately 2.75 per cent of national GDP in 2023. In terms of employment, the mining industry generated 416,875 direct jobs that same year. Mexico is also a relevant actor in the production of critical minerals, such as copper, silver, graphite and manganese, and has lithium reserves, positioning the country as a key link in global value chains associated with the just energy transition.

Pedro Américo Furtado de Oliveira, Director of the ILO Office for Mexico and Cuba stated that

this ratification constitutes an important step towards further consolidating international labour standards, risk-based due diligence and responsible business conduct in a sector that is essential for sustainable development and just transition pathways

Andrea Alcaraz Gutiérrez, National Officer of the Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) Project in Mexico, stated:

The ratification of Convention No. 176 is a key step forward for social justice and decent work for workers in the mining sector, and for consolidating a culture of prevention based on due diligence and responsible business conduct

She further noted that the ratification provides a strengthened platform to continue, and expand, the institutional-strengthening and technical-assistance work that the RBCLAC Project has been providing to the Mexican mining sector since December 2024, under the leadership of the Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX), through four priority lines of action:

• Development of technical tools for the implementation of practical actions on Responsible Business Conduct, including a self-assessment instrument on the labour dimension of RBC for the sector.
• Development of public human rights commitments aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Capacity-building for mining companies to prevent and address potential operational risks related to forced labour, child labour, freedom of association, gender equality, care policies, occupational safety and health, and human rights due diligence.

• Coordination with labour inspection authorities of the Secretariat of Labour and Social Welfare (STPS), supporting technical strengthening to supervise high-risk activities in accordance with national legislation.

The ratification of ILO Convention No. 176 not only consolidates Mexico's normative leadership in the region, but also opens the door to strengthening a culture of prevention, reinforcing due diligence mechanisms, and advancing towards safer and more responsible mining supply chains aligned with global sustainability standards. The next step will be for the Government of Mexico to define the date for the deposit of the instrument of ratification with the ILO, after which the Convention will enter into force.