Today, on April 20th, 24 new organisations are joining the diversity agreement. Confirming their commitment at the signing ceremony are Coolbet, eCartic Industries, Inchcape Motors Estonia, Interconnect Product Assembly, Ministry of Environment, Koeru service centre, Lantmännen Unibake Estonia, Ministry of finance info technology centre, Starship Technologies, Tallinn University, University of Tartu, Viimsi municipality government, Viimsi, Haabneeme, Randvere and Püünsi schools, Viimsi music school and art school, Prangli middle school and community centre, MLA Viimsi kindergartens, Viimsi youth centre, library and welfare centre.

Katrin Markii, the vice mayor of Viimsi, says that they see an opportunity in the diversity agreement to tie the municipality into a community with shared values. She adds, “there are close to 700 specialists working for different Viimsi municipality authorities committed to making Viimsi a better living environment, where it would be safe for everyone to live no matter their age, gender, nationality or cultural background. The diversity agreement covers all those values we believe in and sets a goal about how we want to work in our municipality today and in the future.”

By joining the diversity agreement, a voluntary deal, the company, non-governmental organisation, or the public sector commits to respecting people’s diversity and valuing equal treatment principles amongst their employees, clients, and partners. The organisations that join the agreement know that a diverse group of employees and inclusive leadership bring benefits to the organisation and all the people working there.

Tõnis Karki, an academic secretary of the University of Tartu, explained their decision, “The University of Tartu’s decision to join the diversity agreement was easy because we agree with its principles. We are one of the biggest and more diverse organisations in Estonia and work every day to ensure the people associated with us have the best possible working or studying environment. Joining the diversity agreement will help us make our efforts even more visible.”

With the record number of newcomers to the agreement this year, there is a total of 172 employers that are committed to the agreement in Estonia. They’re brought together by a common interest in creating a working environment that values diversity. All of the network members can share their leadership experiences and how they can promote equal treatment in society.

The diversity agreement in Estonia was first created in 2012, and there are similar agreements in work in 26 different European countries. In Estonia, the various activities and events tied to the agreement are coordinated by the Estonian Human Rights Centre.

The Estonian Human Rights Centre diversity and inclusion events are supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs.