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Speaking at the first annual conference of the National Business Council on HIV/AIDS, or CONAES, each of 21 companies including GE International, Pfizer, and American Express presented their strategies for educating and providing support for their employees.

The group, which hopes to have other Mexican companies to follow their lead, was initiated by the AIDS Responsibility Project (ARP) a U.S. non-profit group partially funded by U.S. President George W. Bush's AIDS initiative. It marks a partnership between the companies, the two governments and AIDS prevention groups in both countries.

Opening the conference, U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza said the alliance allows the companies to share their best practices and ideas and to develop a coordinated response to the illness.

"The members of CONAES have in their hands the potential to literally change the way in which businesses conduct themselves in Mexico," he said. "Events like this supply a forum of cooperation and help to unite the response of the public and private sector towards HIV/AIDS."

Representatives from each company delivered a video presentation of their policy to educate employees and provide support for those with the illness. Among the practices they unveiled were: workplace tolerance rules, on-site seminars about the illness, free and voluntary testing, a commitment to privacy and confidentiality, and full medical coverage. Some companies said they also recognize and support same-sex partnerships.

Sharing such practices allows companies to create a better workplace, said Richard Williams of American Express. "I would ask this group to be open, to share your ideas," he said.

Also, when Mexico's business community, government and society join forces to eradicate HIV/AIDS, it advances the country's position in the world economy, said Abner Mason, executive director of ARP and an advisor to Bush.

"Globalization and greater economic integration across borders will greatly increase the competition among companies for the best talent," Mason said. "Companies will have to continuously innovate to remain on top in such an environment."

The group  founded on International AIDS Day on Dec. 1, 2004  is now encouraging small- and mid-sized Mexican businesses to join their force. Joined Wednesday by visitors from Chile, Guatemala and Jamaica, among other countries, leaders say they also hope to provide a model for the rest of Latin America.

Mexico has the third-highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the hemisphere, after the United States and Brazil. An estimated 160,000 people in Mexico are HIV positive, or about 3 in 1,000, according to the government's National Center for the Control and Prevention of HIV/AIDS, or CENSIDA.

New cases of the disease are largely recorded among men who have sex with men,said Dr. Jorge Saavedra, general director of CENSIDA. Mexico City, he said, has the most amount of cases. Also registering a high number of cases are the states of Mexico, Jalisco, Veracruz and Puebla, he said.

Among the other participating companies in the coalition are: Banamex; Federal Express; Xerox; IBM; GE International; Abbott Laboratories; Merck, Sharp & Dohme; Procter & Gamble; Kraft; Ford Motor Company; Eli Lilly de Mexico; Bristol Myers Squibb; GlaxoSmithKline; 3M; Janssen-Cilag; J.P. Morgan; PepsiCo and Tyco Electronics.