BNDES creates working group for racial equity – 05/23/2023 – Market

The president of the BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development), Aloizio Mercadante, announced this Tuesday morning (23) the creation of a working group at the bank in defense of black empowerment.

The measure seeks to study, identify and propose measures in favor of racial equity. The ordinance that created the working group was signed during a seminar at the BNDES headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The event should address the positive impacts of ethnic-racial diversity on the financial and business sectors. The seminar was named Black Empowerment for Economic Transformation.

Mercadante stated that the BNDES will have to place the racial issue at the center of its discussions from now on. “It will become part of our decisions from this seminar onwards,” he said.

Among the measures planned for the working group are mapping, analyzing and presenting proposals to adjust the BNDES’ performance to the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance and to the Statute of Racial Equality.

The initiative also foresees proposing measures to promote and boost diversity, equity and inclusion of the black population in the BNDES ecosystem, in addition to mapping, analyzing and proposing actions for the empowerment of the black population in the country, as well as monitoring and assisting in the implementation of said actions.

During his speech, Mercadante paid tribute to Real Madrid soccer player Vinicius Júnior, who was once again the target of racist demonstrations this weekend in Spain.