London, April 16, 2014

Emerging challenges for responsible jewellery business

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) will host its first corporate social responsibility (CSR) conference for the jewellery and watch supply chain. The CSR meeting will take place on May 15 at Arundel House in London. It is scheduled to take place following the RJC’s annual general meeting, held the same day. The conference will be open to all interested stakeholders. The event will feature three panel sessions focused on current supply chain issues.

The first panel discussion will be broken down into three areas: EU responsible trading strategy for minerals from conflict zones; the Indian diamond sector and its challenges; and SMEs and consumer perspective. Among its guest speakers are Anoop Mehta, president of the Bharat Diamond Bourse and Professor Marylyn Carrigan, co-director at the Centre for Trust and Ethical Behaviour (CETEB), Coventry University Business School.

The second panel will focus on human rights and responsible supply chains, with an in-depth discussion surrounding the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the risks of forced labour and human trafficking in the jewellery supply chain, artisanal and small-scale mining and human rights in jewellery manufacturing. Speakers will include Adam Greene, the principal officer for the Bureau for Employers’ Activities at the International Labour Office and Claus Teilmann Petersen, vice-president of Group CSR at Pandora.

The third panel discussion of the day will take a closer look at creating value within the jewellery trade. The group will discuss sustainability from a producer’s perspective, Signet’s commitment to responsible sourcing and the RJC and creating value from CSR for the supply chain and consumers.The panel will include Feriel Zerouki, manager of De Beers Best Practice Principles Program, Signet’s vice-president of corporate affairs David Bouffard and Jennifer Horning, the senior program manager for gold at Solidaridad. The day will be rounded off with a reception for all of those that have taken part in the conference.

Source: http://www.responsiblejewellery.com