At CIBJO Congress, calls for sustainable development programs

Cape Town, South Africa—CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, kicked off its 2007 Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 15 with a call for the industry to take a greater role in sustainable development programs in Africa.

South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, one of the primary instigators of the Kimberley Process, said that while the combination of South Africa's natural and human resources has positioned the country as a leading player in the global economy, it is essential that the industry take an active role in creating programs to support such output in the countries that supply the bulk of the industry's raw materials.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri also stressed the jewelry industry's role as a responsible and sustainable force.

"In many regions of Africa, the greater jewelry industry is not viewed primarily as an enterprise that produces luxury items, but it is considered a business that provides employment and support to millions of people," Cavalieri said in a statement. "It also should offer those people the promise of a better future."

Opening-day sessions of the CIBJO Congress were attended by a number of high-level officials, with representatives from various sectors of the industry touching upon concrete examples of sustainable development programs.

South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjika spoke of training programs for young people in the jewelry industry, and Chamber of Mines Chairman Mzolisi Diliza spoke of programs currently being run by the mining industry to assist those living in communities where mining takes place. World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) President Ernie Blom also spoke of projects sponsored by the jewelry and diamond sectors in South Africa and by the WFDB in Sri Lanka and Indonesia that have worked to assist people in need.

The CIBJO Congress 2007 will continue to run through March 15 and will include separate meetings of the various participant sectors in the jewelry industry, including diamonds, colored gemstones, pearls and precious metals.