core sector communique

RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL ANNOUNCING PRESS CONFERENCE AT ‘FIRST’ IN VICENZA LONDON

–The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) will hold a press conference at the Vicenza Trade Show ‘FIRST’ on Sunday, 17 January, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. at the conference room ‘Sala Fogazzaro’. The topic will be “Using the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Certification System to reinforce consumer confidence and promote your business by credibly evidencing your high standards.” Addressing the event will be John Hall, Vice Chairman of the Council, joined by Pamela Caillens, Corporate Responsibility Director, Cartier International, Dario De Gregorio, Corporate Organization & International HR Coordination Executive Director, BULGARI and Catherine Sproule, Chief Operations Officer, RJC. All Trade Media, RJC Members and exhibitors are invited and welcome to attend. The bedrock of the RJC System is the use of third party auditing to verify conformance with the RJC’s Code of Practices, making it objective, fair and transparent. The RJC System audits management systems and performance at a company and site level. The certification process establishes mechanisms for early identification of issues, corrective action, and enforcement of sanctions in the event of un-remediated, repeated or deliberate non-conformance. Formally launched in December 2009, the RJC Certification System is unmatched in any other industry for the quality and breadth of its scope and standards and the integrity and transparency of its developmental process. “The Vicenza Fair is the first trade fair in 2010 to outline the RJC certification system to the jewellery industry. The System is now fully operational to certify its members for responsible ethical, social and environmental practices throughout the diamond and gold jewellery supply chain,” says Michael Rae, Chief Executive Officer, RJC. Open to all organizations actively involved in the diamond and gold supply chain and their trade associations, RJC membership has continued to grow since 2005 from 14 to nearly 150 Members. “This very encouraging rise in membership numbers has enabled the RJC Board to reduce the membership fee formula by 25%. It is evidence of a strong, early commitment to consumer confidence,” says John Hall, RJC Vice-Chairman and General Manager, External Relations, Rio Tinto. Current RJC Members as of 31st December 2009 are required to undergo independent verification by December 2011, or December 2012 if they have Mining Facilities. Companies that join the RJC from 2010 will need to undergo independent verification within two years of becoming Members.