Exactly 75 years ago, on 10th December 1948, a declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. The “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” was ground-breaking and unprecedented in its universalist language. Today, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of this milestone as Human Rights Day, we owe so much to what happened on that day.
The declaration itself was the culmination of a series of well-known historical events and the hard work and struggle of countless unsung women and men. Today, we know that this fight continues. We have come a long way, but to fully realise the ideals set forth on that historic day, we still have a ways to go.
At WJI 2030 we are grateful and proud to be a part of this global pledge and to be able to partner with similarly committed industry leaders.
One of these key partners, a world-renowned organisation working on advocacy and research in human rights, the Human Rights Watch, joins us in this edition of the newsletter with a message that I hope will resonate with you.
As the year draws to a close, and we reflect on the achievements, the learnings and the as yet unfinished goals, I am proud to showcase one of the accomplishments that we are all immensely proud of – the Human Rights Navigator.
The Navigator is a pioneering toolkit that provides practical guidance, tools, and insights related to WJI 2030’s strategic objective to respect and promote human rights in member operations and value chains. It is tailored to companies in the watch & jewelry industry and explains in detail how human rights due diligence (HRDD) should be carried out. It also explores salient human rights issues, i.e., potential and actual human rights impacts that are a priority for the industry.
We present an interview with Nawal Ait-Hocine (Managing Director of Transparence SA, Board Member of Fondation Suisse Déminage) and Elisa Niemtzow (Vice President at BSR and Head of Responsible Luxury Initiative) who will discuss how the Navigator can help companies get a head start in and accelerate their progress on the Human Rights agenda.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the saddening impact of the various conflicts that we are witnessing right now. I sincerely hope that there will be a cessation of hostilities soon. A world where empathy and hope are stronger forces than the impulse to violence is the world that most of us want to live in. Our work in promoting and protecting Human Rights and this planet depends on this belief.
Wishing you and yours all the peace, love and joy that this time of the year brings and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2024!
Iris Van der Veken
Executive Director & Secretary General
Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030