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Corporate Social Responsibility in the Jewellery Industry: What jewellery professionals need to learn and do to commit themselves to follow best practices with regard to ethics and social responsibility. Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri CIBJO President Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelry Conference
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Corporate Social Responsibility in the Jewellery Industry: What jewellery professionals need to learn and do to commit themselves to follow best practices with regard to ethics and social responsibility. Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri CIBJO President Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelry Conference BaselWorld, Basel, Switzerland, March 30, 2009
Corporate Social Responsibility: the jewellery industry’s role As a business sector, we need to play a role in advancing the sustainable social and economic development of under-privileged people. In our case, these people most often live in regions where our raw materials are produced and processed.
The Jewellery Community A new understanding of CSR. Ten years ago we were concentrating less on doing the right thing, and more on not doing the wrong thing.
Conflict Diamonds In the year 2000, our industry awakened to the possibility that a humanitarian crisis could impact very significantly on our business. It became clear then that not only must we act to eradicate conflict diamonds, but also the world should see our dedication and decisiveness in dealing with the problem. This resulted in the creation of the World Diamond Council and the Kimberley Process system.
We deal in non-essential, luxury products and to be successful our customers must be absolutely confident in the integrity of our gems and jewellery, as well in as our business community. This requires total transparency on our part.
In 2006, at the CIBJO Congress in Vancouver, Canada, it was announced CIBJO had become the first and only non-governmental organization in the international jewellery business to be accredited by the United Nations, though membership in the UN’s Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC. DR. HANIFA MEZOUI. HEAD OF THE NGO DIVISION AT ECOSOC, FORMALLY WELCOMING CIBJO INTO THE UN ORGANISATION. VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2006.
The significance of the partnership between our industry and the UN means that CIBJO represents not only a potential to bring the private sector to work on its social responsibility, but it must become the engine driving the different players in our industry to initiate projects that will provide concrete solutions to social and economic inequality.
End Goals Defined by United Nations The 8 Millennium Development Goals, which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.
The Cape Town Declaration “The jewellery industry, as a member of the international business community, shares a responsibility toward the greater society in seeking practical solutions towards the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, as well as to developing a global partnership for development.”
“Let the word go out from Cape Town that, while jewellery may described as a luxury product, the industry that produces it is an essential item—certainly when it comes to economic development. When consumers buy jewellery, they should know that not only is it an expression of value, beauty and emotion, but they have contributed to making a better life for people who need it most dearly.”
Cooperation with United Nations Since Cape Town, we have dedicated ourselves to transforming our statement of intent into facts on the ground. Much of what has been achieved has been done in cooperation with the United Nations, and with a dedicated team of professionals. CIBJO OFFICIALS MEETING WITH THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI MOON. GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, JULY 2007.
SLIDE 24 In 2007, CIBJO unveiled a website dedicated to informing the jewellery industry about sustainable development. www.sustainablejewellery.org
The goal of WJCEF is to establish a programme that will educate members of the diamond, gemstone and jewellery industries, all over the world and in all sectors, from mine to market, about the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility, and how they may implement these principles in their businesses. WJCEF WORLD JEWELLERY CONFEDERATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
WJCEF Milestones • Formulation of CSR Impact Assessment Models for each of the various sectors of the diamond, gemstone and jewellery industries. • Production of about 10 CSR training modules, for the different sectors of the jewellery industry. • Creation of the “Centre of Excellence,” which is the city in which the programme will be administered, with a qualified institute of higher education. WJCEF WORLD JEWELLERY CONFEDERATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
SLIDE 24 To learn about these programmes, please go to the case studies section of our website www.sustainablejewellery.org www.sustainablejewellery.org
At our 2009 CIBJO Congress, which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 3 to May 5, the WJCEF programme for the jewellery industry will be formally outlined by the United Nation’s CSR Team that has been working on the project for more than a year.
I look forward to welcoming you all to the 2009 CIBJO Congress in Istanbul, May 3-5, 2009. Gaetano Cavalieri, President www.cibjo.org
