CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PARTNERS
DVINGE, a luxury jewelry company, is committed to conducting its business activities in a responsible manner.
This DVINGE Partner Code of Conduct (hereinafter "Code of Conduct") outlines the principles and values of integrity and honesty that guide DVINGE's development, business activities, and growth strategy.
Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this Code of Conduct aligns with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), the standards and resolutions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as the United Nations Guidelines for Business and Human Rights. Additionally, the Code of Conduct reflects the ethical standards set by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Code of Practices.
While DVINGE encourages all suppliers, dealers, agents, subcontractors, and business partners (hereinafter “Partner(s)”) to align with these principles and values, and to adopt similar practices, this Code of Conduct is provided as a guideline only.
By accepting this Code of Conduct, Partners acknowledge the importance of these values and commit to making efforts to ensure that their business activities reflect the outlined principles. DVINGE, however, does not assume liability for its Partners' failure to meet the standards or requirements mentioned in this Code of Conduct.
The Partner undertakes to engage in ethical practices in the governance of its company, in full compliance with all national laws, applicable international conventions, and human rights in the spirit of internationally recognised standards.
Conformity of products and services : All goods and services provided must comply with DVINGE'S requirements and correspond exactly to the accompanying labels. DVINGE reserves the right to reject a product that fails to comply with its requirements in terms of quality, content, form or composition.
Customs authorities : All applicable customs laws, including those relating to imports and the ban on transhipment of goods, must be respected.
Anti-corruption : All forms of corruption or trading in influence will be condemned, including any illegal payments or other forms of benefit to a public official, political party, or any other person or entity, as well as extortion and/or bribes that could influence a decision in violation of the law.
Money laundering : The Partner shall do everything in its power to prevent its business activities from being used to conceal funds derived from criminal activities.
Data protection : The Partner confirms that it and all its employees and representatives comply with all applicable data protection laws, including the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, proportionality, minimisation, accuracy, security and notification. The Partner shall ensure an adequate level of data protection by adopting appropriate technical and operational security measures to prevent any possible damage, destruction, loss, unauthorised or accidental access, copying, theft, cyberattack or other similar risk.
Transparency of information : The Partner shall provide truthful, clear and accurate information on the methods and resources used, the production sites and the characteristics of the products or services provided.
Respect for human rights is a standard of conduct required of all Partners wherever they operate.
Non-discrimination policy : Employees must be treated fairly and equitably. No form of discrimination is acceptable, including discrimination on grounds of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, nationality, social or ethnic origin, in terms of hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion or dismissal.
Child labour : Work by children under the age of 15 is strictly prohibited. Child labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially and/or morally dangerous or harmful to children, or that unduly hinders their educational needs.
Forced labour : No one shall be required to perform forced labour, whether obtained under the threat of physical punishment, confinement of employees, sanctions, withholding identity documents or any other coercion. All workers are entitled to accept or leave their employment freely.
Working hours : The Partner shall ensure that its employees work under conditions that comply with all applicable laws and mandatory industry standards with respect to the number of hours and days worked. The limit set by the International Labour Organization must in all cases be applied.
Compensation : Wages and benefits in accordance with applicable laws and mandatory collective bargaining agreements, including those relating to overtime and other compensatory payments, must be paid to employees on a regular and documented basis. Illegal, unjustified and/or disciplinary deductions from wages are unacceptable.
Harassment and sexual abuse : Each employee’s personal life is sacrosanct and must be respected in the workplace. Psychological or physical harassment, psychological and/or physical pressure, as well as humiliating disciplinary sanctions, are strictly prohibited.
Right to freedom of association and collective bargaining : Respect for the right of employees to freedom of association is fundamental. All employees shall have the right to create or join labour organisations of their choice without penalty or discrimination, and to express their legitimate grievances and concerns to their management.
Occupational health and safety : Safe and healthy working conditions must be guaranteed to employees at all times. Risk assessments, procedures and trainings must be carried out to detect and mitigate as much as possible any hazards that constitute a risk to the health and safety of staff.
Security : The Partner must ensure the security of its employees, agents, subcontractors and visitors. The Partner shall assess security risks and implement measures to protect intellectual property rights and prevent product theft, damage or substitution on and off site or in transit. Partners who use security staff must ensure security in an efficient and responsible manner, in compliance with human rights.
The Partner must operate in an environmentally responsible manner and demonstrate initiative to improve its environmental performance and footprint.
Management system : The Partner must be able to confirm that staff whose work has direct environmental impact are trained, skilled and have the resources required to effectively perform their work.
Environmental impact on the product life cycle : The Partner shall reduce the environmental footprint of its activities wherever possible, by assessing the impacts of its products at different stages of their life cycle, recycling and reducing waste, reducing CO2 emissions, and minimising environmental pollution of the air, water and soil.
Chemicals management : All hazardous substances and waste shall be identified, managed, stored and disposed of in accordance with laws and regulations to prevent any harm to human health and the environment.
Resource management : The Partner shall promote the use of renewable energy wherever possible and optimise water and energy efficiency in its operations.
Biodiversity : The Partner shall assess the impacts of its activities on biodiversity (protected sites, sensitive ecosystems), and comply with restrictions on the import and export of raw materials derived from vulnerable, protected or endangered species (CITES Convention), and/or the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
This Code of Conduct takes into account the risks listed in the Annex II of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (hereinafter "OECD Guidance").
It is the Partner's responsibility to assess the risks of human rights and environmental violations in its supply chain with its own suppliers. The Partner must therefore take the necessary measures to minimise the risk to the extent possible and in accordance with its capacities.
Precious Metals : The Partner undertakes to carry out all necessary verifications to ensure that the precious metals supplied to DVINGE are in no way linked to the financing of conflicts or derived from criminal activities.
Diamonds : The Partner certifies that the diamonds supplied to DVINGE are natural, unprocessed, purchased from legitimate sources, from a conflict-free zone and in accordance with United Nations resolutions. The Partner undertakes to keep on record all necessary guarantees under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the World Diamond Council System of Warranties.
Coloured Gemstones: The Partner shall ensure that the sourcing of gemstones does not contribute to conflict. When sourcing from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, the Partner shall ensure that there are no significant adverse impacts on human rights (as mentioned in Annex II of OECD Guidance) associated with the extracting, trading, handling and exporting of the gemstones. The Partner undertakes to stay abreast of and respect any international sanctions related to the trade in gemstones. The Partner shall also provide detailed information on the physical characteristics of the gemstones (as well as the processing), in accordance with laws and industry standards.
Leather : The Partner undertakes to control and trace the raw material in order to ensure best practices and compliance with standards for animal welfare, the environment and for human health.
DVINGE reserves the right to verify its Partners' compliance with these principles and to conduct compliance audits.The Partner shall maintain an archiving system making it possible to track its compliance with this Code of Conduct.The Partner may not subcontract any activity with the aim of circumventing the principles of this Code of Conduct. In the event of non-compliance with any clause of this Code of Conduct, DVINGE reserves the right to refuse any business relationship, to demand corrective measures and, if applicable, to terminate the relationship with immediate effect.The Partner shall make this Code of Conduct available to its employees and guarantees that they have read and understood it. DVINGE strongly encourages the Partner to send this Code of Conduct to its own suppliers. For any questions, comments, or complaints related to the above-mentioned topics, and notably with regard to DVINGES supply chain, the Partner can reach out to us.