CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has announced that its 2009 Congress will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, May 3-5. The event will be held in the historic Çiraðan Palace Kempinski on the banks of the Bosphorus, and it will be hosted by the Turkey Jewelry Association.

“This congress will be held during what most believe is undoubtedly the most severe crisis to have hit the world economy in the past 80 years,” said CIBJO president Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri. “The issues that we will be discussing are of critical importance to our industry, which currently is searching for solutions to sustain itself during the downturn, so that it is positioned to emerge strongly when the markets begin to recover.”

He continued, “The fact that Turkey is hosting the event is very significant. Like no other market, the country represents a blend of East and West, and it has helped unlock the fast developing markets in the republics of the former Soviet Union, as well as in the Middle East. Turkey also represents a strong jewelry market in its own right, and it is an economical jewelry design and manufacturing centre within just a few hours flying time from Western Europe. It is exactly the type of the centre that we need to look to in difficult times such as these.”

The annual CIBJO Congress serves as the venue for the meeting of the World Jewellery Confederation’s General Assembly, which is the organization’s primary decision making body. This year the congress will focus of the impact of the global financial crisis and the consequent strategies that need to be adopted by the industry, as well as the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility.

A key event will be roll out of the World Jewelry Confederation Education Foundation, which is the body created by CIBJO in cooperation with the United Nations, dedicated to formulating and delivering training programs for all sectors of the world industry about the principles and practices of CSR in the jewelry business.

The full congress program will be released shortly.

JCK