Press release – RJC enters into a partnership with the United Nations Global Compact to advance impact and innovation on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Responsible Jewellery Council has entered into a partnership with the United Nations Global Compact to develop best practice impact case studies for building awareness and educating key stakeholders across the jewellery supply chain from mine to retail on how businesses can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Responsible Jewellery Council Code of Practices standard aligns with the 17 SDGs and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact through a series of requirements covering:
- Legal & regulatory compliance
- Responsible supply chains, human rights and due diligence
- Labour rights & working conditions
- Health, safety & environment
- Gold, silver, PGM, diamonds & coloured gemstones – disclosure
- Responsible mining
“We welcome this partnership with the UN Global Compact. Since 2005, the RJC has taken a leading role on sustainable development in the global jewellery supply chain. We believe in a model of shared values and we see the principles of the UN Global Compact and the SDGs as the foundation for shaping a better world,” says David Bouffard, RJC Chairman.
“As the RJC will celebrate 15 years of legacy in 2020, it is the right momentum to look ahead for the next 15 years. We must work closely together with the Global Compact and all our stakeholders to drive global action on the SDGs,” That is our moral responsibility, says Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director.
Key outputs from the partnership include an RJC technical workgroup on impact 2020-2030, training webinars on best practices, research tools on driving the SDGs throughout the industry with a special emphasis on:
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality
- SDG 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth
- SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption & Production
- SDG 13 – Climate Action
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
Over the next two years, the platform will report on SDG progress and support businesses in applying the guidance in their operations with the help of case studies, hands-on workshops and a continued dialogue with policy makers and investors.
About Responsible Jewellery Council
The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit standards and certification organisation. It has more than 1,200 member companies that span the jewellery supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold, platinum group metals, silver, and coloured gemstones. The Code of Practices addresses human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and many more important topics in the jewellery supply chain. RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence. The RJC’s Chain-of-Custody Certification for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit.
The RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance – the global association for sustainability standards. For more information, follow @RJCJewellery on Twitter and visit our website at www.responsiblejewellery.com.
About the United Nations Global Compact
As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact works with companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact guides and supports the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 60 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
