In Conversation with…Tiffany Stevens
“The RJC’s mission is more critical than ever in this moment. As momentum builds in the ESG space around the globe, RJC is leading the way in a comprehensive and effective approach to responsibility for all types of jewelry entities. JVC greatly values our long-term working partnership with RJC and shared core beliefs of ethics and integrity.” Tiffany Stevens CEO, President and General Counsel – Jewelers Vigilance Committee
What is the role of JVC in the global watch and jewelry industry? For more than 100 years, JVC has been the jewelry industry’s independent advocate in the US. Our mission is to help jewelers build robust businesses that operate with the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and legal and regulatory compliance. We educate and advise manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and designers – from the largest brands to small, local operators – about their rights and responsibilities as business owners, employers, and advertisers. Our team includes on-staff attorneys who have in-depth knowledge about all aspects of the jewelry industry’s legal and regulatory landscape, and deep relationships across the industry, government, and international organizations.
What does sustainability mean to you, and how does it link to JVC? Personally, this is my greatest interest. I have been involved in the environment and global trade since my pre-law school fellowship at the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC where I represented the organization at (the time, low level!) United States Trade Representative (USTR) sessions on sea turtle conservation. At the JVC our focus is legal advocacy and education around ethics in our trade. So many aspects of our work lead to sustainability as it’s such a large and timely topic hotly debated in all industries currently. In our world, from how Anti Money Laundering protocols can also support locating criminal behavior in human and wildlife trafficking, to helping our members follow employment and labor rules around the globe– and most obviously all the work we do to both advocate and educate on advertising terminology, the JVC is committed to moving the sustainability conversation forward in a real way. We track and educate the trade on all the policy shifts on this topic in the US and around the world, so keep quite busy. It’s time well spent as we see this as the issue driving consumer behavior in the future so want our members well positioned and educated to thrive in this new world.
Why do you choose to work closely with RJC? JVC and RJC consider ourselves sister organizations. Our missions and values are closely aligned, although we do our work in slightly different forms. Both organizations are commercially neutral and instead focused on impact. We both act to support human rights, the environment and all the other SDG priority areas and believe that law, democracy and open debate is the best way to live our values as an industry. All of this while actively while supporting our members in having thriving businesses
How do you see the agenda of sustainability evolve in our industry? Sustainability will take a large step forward in the US beginning in 2022. The Federal Trade Commission, the part of our government that regulates all advertising in the US market, has announced they will review the FTC so called “Green Guides”-the document that defines exactly what is meant by eco, green and all sustainability terminology in for the US market. As of now, the definitions and rules in the US are too vague, which is what creates room for so much uncertainty in the market and among consumers. We aim to work closely with industry and the US government to shape definitions and real meaning behind sustainability so we can bring clarity and results to these noble concepts. We will work with the FTC to voice the opinions of our industry around all aspects of sustainability, transparency and environmental equity