CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri reaffirmed the international jewellery industry’s commitment to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and implementing its Agenda 2030 on July 18 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during the final day of the organization’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Dr. Cavalieri addressed the ECOSOC High-Level Segment for the fourth time, and CIBJO was once again among only a few of the thousands of ECOSOC non-profit organization members selected to present an oral remark before the UN body’s annual conference.
CIBJO was granted special consultative status in ECOSOC in 2006 and has since acted as the jewellery industry’s sole representation in the institution, which brings together government, business, and civil society to support the United Nations development agenda.
Speaking at a session titled “Multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow: the role of ECOSOC towards a sustainable and resilient path by 2030,” Dr. Cavalieri commented, “We are fully committed to the stated theme of the 2024 ECOSOC High Level Segment, to reinforce the 2030 Agenda and to eradicate poverty during these times of multiple crises, through the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.”
“There is no contradiction in a luxury product industry committing itself to helping solve the world’s most pressing economic, social and environmental challenges,” the president of CIBJO told reporters. “Many of our important stakeholders, as well as our raw resources, are supplied mostly from economically underdeveloped nations in Africa, South America, Asia, and the South Pacific. We have a primary strategic interest in working with governments and the international community to support the Declaration on Future Generations’ stated goals and principles, particularly in reducing intergenerational poverty and hunger while providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment.”
“Our world faces unprecedented challenges, but together we still have the opportunity to construct a better future for all, building resilience and leaving no one behind,” said the CIBJO president.