Seminar at VICENZAORO January to focus on implementing ethical Social Responsibility standards

...in jewellery business



The seminar is being organised by CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and Fiera di Vicenza, and will be presented by two of the industry's leading experts, Greg Valerio and Dr. Donald Feaver.


Whereas it once was regarded by many as an optional alternative in the jewellery and gemstone industry, systematic and verifiable ethical business standards is today considered a core requirement. The practical implementation of these standards will be the subject of a seminar and workshop that will take place at the VICENZAORO January show in Vicenza Italy. It will presented by two of the industry's leading experts.


Entitled "Social Responsibility as the New Reality: Best Practice Initiatives, Tools and Business Success," the seminar is  organised by CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and Fiera di Vicenza, and will take place on Sunday, January 25, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Pavilion 7.1, Room 7.1.2b, at Fiera di Vicenza.


It is being held within the framework of CIBJO and Fiera di Vicenza's association with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is dedicated toward the development of educational programmes promoting Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in the international jewellery and gemstone sectors. 


The seminar presenters are Greg Valerio, a British jeweller who pioneered ethical and fair trade business practices, and is the founder of CRED Jewellery, which became Europe's first jewellery company to retail fair trade green gold and platinum jewellery collections, and a co-founder of Fair Jewellery Action, which aims to make ethically sourced jewellery the only moral choice for consumers and suppliers; and legal expert Dr. Donald Feaver, the Chief Technology Officer of Branded Trust Assurance Systems and  a Director of the Branded Trust Foundation.


Branded Trust Assurance Systems, in association with CIBJO and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, has developed a suite of online courses as well Social Responsibility Management tools including a comprehensive ethical market and transparent supply-chain and chain of custody solution.


Also participating will be Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO; James Riley, CEO of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A); and Vivien Johnston, Chair of the Jewellery Ethics Committee in the United Kingdom.


In the first part of seminar, Mr. Valerio will discusses the new ethical realities for jewellers and suppliers, some of the key responsible sourcing initiatives available to jewellers, such as Fairtrade Gold, conflict free sourcing, transparency and traceability disciplines, and also practical steps that businesses can take to become leading "best practice" companies.


In the second part, Dr. Feaver will explain how a new era of Social Responsibility (SR) is quickly emerging. He will identify the types of businesses that are seizing this opportunity, the new breed of business leaders that are making this happen and the new tools they are using to accelerate their businesses to SR "best practice."


"Over the last 10 years, the mining and jewellery trades have come under increasing ethical scrutiny from campaign organisations, governments, and voluntary civil society movements," explained Mr. Valerio. "Business as usual for jewellers is now a thing of the past."


"Traditional paper-based 'certification' approaches are fast becoming tools of the old era," said Dr. Feaver. "New approaches are more constructive, and a focus on business improvement through Social Responsibility has the potential to deliver a higher Return on Investment. The new approaches are more holistic with targeted tools for 'people, companies and products.'"

 
CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, is the international jewellery confederation of national trade organisations. CIBJO's purpose is to encourage harmonisation, promote international cooperation in the jewellery industry and to consider issues which concern the trade worldwide. CIBJO's chief mission is to protect consumer confidence in the industry. Click here to visit the CIBJO website.
 

Fiera di Vicenza is a leading Italian trade show organizer and one of the world's most dynamic players. It is among the most important service providers for the gold and jewellery industries thanks to its VICENZAORO brand, which it has successfully exported to the most prestigious international jewellery trade fairs in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Sao Paulo, Mumbai and Dubai. Click here to visit the Fiera di Vicenza website.


Carla Lotto-