Campaigners Put Pressure On UK Jewellers Over Dirty Gold

Wed, 25 Apr 2007

CAFOD, a Catholic aid agency, has hit the country’s gold trade centre with a symbolic gold paper chain that represents nearly 45,000 signatures demanding an end to 'dirty gold' .

Campaigners turned up at Goldsmiths Hall in London, where Mark Adlestone, chair of the National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG), accepted the petition and spoke of the need for good practice to be conducted by jewellers .

"CAFOD is expert on the issues surrounding dirty gold and cares passionately that the Golden Rules are adopted widely by the trade," Mr Adlestone said.

"As retail jewellers we have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that our business avoids damage to the environment and, more importantly, to communities anywhere in the world," he added.

Both mining companies and UK jewellers have been called upon by The Unearth Justice campaign to clean up the industry, especially as 80 per cent of gold mined each year ends up in jewellery items.

Mr Adlestone’s company, British jewellery retailer Beaverbrooks – along with jeweller Fraser Hart - have responded to the Unearth Justice campaign by agreeing to endorse what campaigners call the ‘Golden Rules’ by signing a sourcing policy .

These are part of a global campaign calling for more protection for the communities and environments of the developing world, where mining work takes place. The Rules fight for workers human rights, sound environmental standards and free, prior and informed consent for affected communities .

UK retailers Goldsmiths, Warren James, F. Hinds, and Argos are now being asked by CAFOD supporters to follow the lead of Fraser Hart and Beaverbrooks, and sign up to the Golden Rules, therefore showing their support by putting pressure on gold mining companies to change the way they operate.

Helen Wolfson, CAFOD’s head of Campaigns said, "We are very encouraged by the support shown by the National Association of Goldsmiths for the Unearth Justice campaign, and by the active part they are playing by taking the lead role in ensuring that any industry standards they produce meet the baselines set out in the Golden Rules."
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