CIBJO and Ministry of Trade and Tourism of the Republic of Peru sign agreement

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation and the Ministry of Trade and Tourism of the Republic of Peru (Mincetur), together signed a multilateral cooperation agreement, to establish a U.S. $6.2 million training programme for improving skills and efficiencies of 12,000 Peruvian jewellery artisans, and ultimately building a sustainable, responsible and ethical jewellery industry in Peru. The Peruvian Exporters' Association (Adex) and the National Service of Occupational Training in Industry (Senati) are party to the agreement.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri said, "As a leading producer of both gold and silver, Peru is keen to expand its jewellery manufacturing sector, not only to improve the added value that it receives from its natural resources, but also to provide its citizens with new sustainable economic opportunities. We hope to involve as many of our members as possible from around the world, enabling the Peruvian industry to benefit from our collective knowledge and experience, and so demonstrate the commitment of our industry to proactive CSR and helping meet the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals."

The agreement was finalised on July 3 in the Peruvian capital, Lima. The programme is called "Fortalecimiento de Capacidades de la Joyería Artesanal en el marco de la Responsabilidad Social y Comercio Justo" (Building the Capacity of the Jewellery Crafts in the context of Social Responsibility and Fair Trade). It will be implemented over at least three years across five regions of Peru, namely Arequipa, Cajamarca, Cusco, Lima and Piura. CIBJO, together with its CSR educational arm, the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of tools and services from around the world to assist the programme in meeting its goals.