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RAPAPORT... The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) appointed Vivien Johnston as the group's new ethics and corporate social responsibility manager. The role was created following the latest World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) congress that was held in Moscow and called for industry members to take a lead on ethical, sustainable and transparency leadership initiatives. Johnston is also the chair of the Jewellery Ethics Committee U.K. (JECUK).
Since 2009, Gem-A has been working alongside Johnston, the British Jewellers Association, the National Association of Goldsmiths, and Fairtrade Gold's founder, Greg Valerio, as part of the JECUK to assess the feasibility of a system of auditable supply chains and ethical standards.
Johnston's appointment was “the next logical step for the Association,” said, Gem-A's CEO, James Riley. “We’ve been working alongside CIBJO, the UN and JECUK for the last four to five years to bring light to the issue of corporate social responsibility and ethics in the diamond and gemstone supply chain. However, our work here has only just begun and if we really want our members and the wider industry to take these initiatives seriously, we need to be showing we mean business. This is just one of the reasons Vivien Johnston will be working with us over the coming years: to shore up our own business practices, as well as acting as a voice for the industry in relation to corporate social responsibility and issues of ethics.” Johnston said, “Corporate social responsibility and ethical issues are often discussed in an abstract way. As an industry, we all agree in principle which problems should be tackled, but it can be difficult to know how to begin to implement the changes in practice. Gem-A has shown their commitment to tackling this challenge. I’m thrilled to be working alongside such a talented staff and members who are dedicated to promoting and achieving the pinnacle of professional standards. My new role is to integrate ‘sustainability, transparency and disclosure’ into these standards, to ensure responsible sourcing and ethical business practice.”
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