Former Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council to lead the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030

Iris Van Der Veken is the former Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an association of about 1,500 members that sets standards for the diamond supply chain. The organisation found itself in turmoil at the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, due to its ambiguous relationship with Alrosa, the Russian mining giant, which was hit by international sanctions. The director chose to resign, while the RJC saw the departure of several members of the global jewellery industry who no longer accepted Alrosa's presence on the committee. Pandora was the first company to leave the organisation, followed shortly afterwards by the Richemont Group (Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati), stating that they did not wish to be part of an organisation that included companies involved in financing the conflict.

Last year the Richemont and Kering groups joined forces to launch the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030.

The aim of this new organisation is to accelerate sustainable development and create an industry that is increasingly responsible for ecological and climate objectives. Iris Van der Veken has been chosen to represent this new entity around the ethical values and commitments of the major jewellery companies.

She has always been committed to the fight against discrimination between men and women, and was instrumental in creating the Generation Equality Campaign for the Jewellery Industry.

The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 is open to all internationally represented watch and jewellery brands willing to commit to three objectives set by the organisation: the protection and preservation of primary resources, the implementation of corporate strategies that promote inclusion, the limitation of carbon emissions and the alignment of activities with climate issues.