(LONDON) – Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), a leading standard-setting organization for the global jewelry and watch industry, has appointed Brad Brooks-Rubin, the former Special Advisor for Conflict Diamonds at the U.S. Department of State, as Strategic Advisor & North America Engagement Lead. Based in Washington, D.C., he will be responsible for advancing policy and deepening connections between international policy makers, NGOs and RJC member companies.
Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of RJC said: “We are excited to welcome Brad to the RJC team. He is highly regarded for his multi-stakeholder expertise and has a proven track record of successfully connecting policy makers, NGOs, industry and the broader community. Brad has a critical role to play in advancing policy. I look forward to working with him to sharpen RJC’s focus on encouraging and enabling the acceleration of collective action within the global jewelry and watch industry through the implementation of the RJC Code of Practices towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, during the Decade of Action.” RJC Van der Veken
David Bouffard, Chair of RJC, added: “Brad represents the caliber of expertise and action that the RJC will support in this era of sustainable development. His experience in responsible sourcing and engaging with civil society will be invaluable to our 1,500 member companies worldwide, and in deepening consumer confidence in our industry.” RJC Bouffard
Speaking about his new role at RJC, Brooks-Rubin said: “I am thrilled to join RJC at this critical time for the jewelry and watch supply chain. Urgent issues related to climate, human and labor rights, gender/racial equity, and sustainable development face the industry – and planet. I am grateful to have the opportunity to build on my years of experience connected to the industry and engage with policy makers in Washington to bring the industry’s efforts forward. I also look forward to working closely with current and future members to ensure they have the support they need to implement the RJC Code of Practices standard.”
Brooks-Rubin will continue as a Senior Advisor at The Sentry, an investigative and policy team that seeks to exclude war profiteers in East and Central Africa from international financial systems, co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast. He was previously Director of Global Development and Beneficiation at GIA (Gemological Institute of America), served as Special Advisor for Conflict Diamonds with the U.S. Department of State and as an Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Brooks-Rubin is a recipient of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee’s Stanley Schechter Award and is a published author. He holds a Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) is a leading standards organization of the global jewelry and watch industry. It has 1,500 member companies in 71 countries, that span the jewelry supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, colored gemstones, silver, gold and platinum group metals. The Code of Practices (COP) addresses human rights, labor rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and many more important topics in the jewelry supply chain. RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence. RJC’s Chain-of-Custody Certification (CoC) for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit. Through the implementation of the COP and CoC members contribute towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 agenda. RJC’s Roadmap 2030 is a framework for our industry with respect to the most impactful contributions our members can make through their supply chains. Impacts deepen consumer confidence and are linked to priority SDGs, they are presented according to the five pillars of sustainable development – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships. In April 2021, RJC launched the SDG Taskforce, an industry-wide action platform to advance the sustainability agenda and benchmark progress in the jewelry and watch supply chain.
RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance – the global association for sustainability standards. The RJC complies with the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code which specifies general requirements for transparent and accountable preparation, adoption and revision of sustainability standards.
RJC is also a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) since 2009. RJC and UNGC entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership in 2020 and launched the ‘SDG Innovation & Impact in the Jewelry Industry” program. In 2021 the RJC deepened this commitment by supporting the UNGC SDG Ambition global impact initiative to accelerate integration of the 17 SDGs into core business management. SDG Ambition enables companies to move beyond incremental progress and step-up transformative change – unlocking business value, building business resilience, and enabling long-term growth.
For more information on RJC Members, Certification, and Standards please visit www.responsiblejewellery.com.
