"Jewelry Group Should Raise Bar for Supply Chains", 28 June 2018

The Responsible Jewellery Council, an international industry group, should strengthen its standard for responsible sourcing of gold, diamonds, and other minerals, 18 independent groups and trade unions said today in a letter to the group's standards committee...The organization is reviewing its core certification standard for its members, which include more than 1,000 companies in jewelry supply chains, including mining companies, refiners, manufacturers, and jewelry retailers. The Responsible Jewellery Council's certification standard, known as the Code of Practices, sets out business practices in regard to human rights, labor rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and other issues in the jewelry supply chain. All members must be certified as compliant with the code through a third-party audit. The letter recommended that the code should be brought fully into alignment with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas, including its five-step framework to identify and respond to human rights risks in the minerals supply chain. The OECD's guidance is the most authoritative and widely accepted standard in the minerals sector...."The RJC's Code is full of loopholes and provides no guarantee that jewelry from a member is responsibly sourced," Becker said. "With its current review process, the council should seize the opportunity to bring its code into line with international best practices."