Speaking during the High Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri expressed both CIBJO’s and the jewellery industry’s commitment to supporting transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions to meet the objectives of the international body’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and also its Sustainable Development Goals.

CIBJO is the world jewellery industry’s sole representative in ECOSOC, having held consultative status in the body since 2006. It also was only one of a handful of affiliated NGOs invited to deliver an oral statement during this year’s gathering of ECOSOC’s general assembly.

During his address, the CIBJO President noted that, ahead of its upcoming Centenary Congress in Vicenza, Italy, in early September, CIBJO is completing the first edition of its ESG and Sustainability Reference Guide for the Jewellery Sector. The document, he explained, will serve as a roadmap for companies throughout the jewellery supply chain over the next five to 10 years, condensing the vast array of ESG topics into a structured and prioritised framework.

In his address, Dr. Cavalieri noted that he had visited India on World Water Day on March 22, 2026, where in the state of Gujarat, a new fresh-water resevoir named CIBJO Lake was inaugurated. Covering an area of 15 acres, it has a storage capacity of 156 million litres and will support five villages in the surrounding area, benefiting around 12,000 farmers. The lake was financed and built by the Dholakia Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Hari Krishna Group, a CIBJO member.

“For CIBJO, many of the challenges addressed by the SDGs, such as climate change and resource scarcity, pose direct risks to the jewellery sector. Addressing these can help and ensure long-term business resilience,” Dr. Cavalieri stated.