CIBJO Kicks Off First Day of 2006 Annual Congress

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The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) opened its annual congress at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 24. Hundreds of delegates attended the CIBJO 2006 Congress kick-off, which also marks the organization’s 80th anniversary.


In his opening speech, CIBJO president, Gaetano Cavalieri, called upon the jewelry community to invest in instilling a fine jewelry culture in younger consumers in order to guarantee the long term health of the market. 

“Ultimately, the future growth of our market depends upon the instilling of a fine jewelry culture in the consuming public,” Cavalieri said. “We cannot assume it will always be there, and especially not in markets where consumerism is a relatively new phenomenon.” 


“Young people today are seduced by a great number of different industries to spend their non-essential dollars. Travel, electronics and entertainment appear to attract them more than a well designed and valuable item of jewelry,” Cavalieri added. 


At the opening session many of the speakers discussed the issue of corporate responsibility.  Hanifa Mezoui, a senior official in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC) at the United Nations, quoted United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan, saying, “Let us choose to unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals. Let us choose to reconcile the creative forces of private entrepreneurship with the needs of the disadvantaged and the requirements of future generations.”


Discussions also focused upon the expected release of the movie Blood Diamond,  which depicts the life of a diamond smuggler in Sierra Leone during the late 1990s.  World Diamond Council chairman Eli Izhakoff and Louise Prior, a communications manager at the Diamond Trading Company (DTC,) outlined the campaign aimed at informing the industry and jewelry buying public about the diamond industry’s efforts to eradicate trade in conflict diamonds.


Also on the opening day of the congress,  Izhakoff, was elected honorary president of CIBJO. The title was bestowed upon Izhakoff during the congress’ gala dinner by CIBJO’s  Cavalieri and president of CIBJO’s ethics commission, Matthew Runci.


Izhakoff thanked the CIBJO President’s Council, and expressed his appreciation for the honor. “This is indeed a special moment, for it represents to me the appreciation of my peers throughout the jewelry industry,” said Izhakoff.


“We have achieved much, but there is a great deal to be done — first and foremost educating our own community about the Kimberley Process and the system of warrantees, which together create transparent system of ensuring a transparent and untainted diamond trade from the mine to the market. CIBJO is an important ally in this mission.”


Further adding to excitement on the first day of the congress, CIBJO received consultative status with the ECOSOC.  Mezoui said the status, based on Article 71 of the United Nations Charter, woud  enable CIBJO to make a contribution to the programs and goals of the United Nations by serving as a technical expert, adviser and consultant to governments and the United Nations Secretariat.


“ECOSOC for its part, has become increasingly multifaceted, consisting not just of NGOs with public service, non-profit objectives, but also those that have a blend of objectives, including effectively representing the interests of industry groups in the international context,” said Mezoui.


“Corporate social and environmental responsibility and codes of conduct have become as relevant to these organizations as to those that are strictly public service related.  The World Jewellery Confederation is an example of one of those organizations that has more recently joined the ECOSOC family that has such a blend of objectives,” added Mezoui.


The congress is scheduled to close on Thursday, July 27.