At RJC, We’re excited to share that the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has officially released the revised Code of Practices (COP) and Chain of Custody (COC) standards. Our standards are designed to help businesses implement responsible practices into the core of their business.
The COP and COC were reviewed to address the evolving landscape and expectations around ethics, sustainability, and transparency within our industry, providing a strengthened framework for responsible business practices. Let’s look at the key updates to the standards!
1: COP Standard: Expanded existing provisions including but not limited to human rights, supply chain due diligence, claims and grievance mechanisms! Significant updates on diversity, equity and inclusivity, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental requirements and several provisions across mining and mineral processing.
2: COC Standard: Streamlined with COP provisions on OECD due diligence, KYC, and internal material controls. Revised recycled materials definition with additional due diligence and disclosure requirements
Updates to product claims, due diligence for mined material, and reporting requirements for refiners.
3: Transition Period: We’ve aligned the transition periods for the COC and COP standards to ease member and auditor preparations,
A: Transition Duration: Members and auditors have a 3-6 month preparatory period within a 12-month total transition for members from 1st January 2025.
B: Key Dates: Audits against the updated COP and COC can begin April 1st, 2025, with mandatory auditor qualifications by July 1st, 2025. Any certification audits (not including COP 2019 mid-term reviews and COC 2017 surveillance audits) against the COP or COC from January 1st 2026 are required to be against the new standard.
Members must already be certified to the COP to move forward to certification for the COC or have the audit at the same time. For the Upcoming Support and Resources RJC said, we are committed to supporting our members through this transition and will soon be offering, 1: Guidance Release, 2: Road Shows & 3: Member Training Sessions.
To support this transition, an updated certification handbook for members and dedicated document with requirements for auditors will be available.
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