“Time for Change” Conference Proceedings

CARDET in collaboration with the NGO Future World Center successfully implemented the conference “Time for Change: Supply Chains in the Cyprus Context” on the 19 th January 2016 at Classic Hotel, Nicosia for the European project Sustainable Production and Consumption in the framework of EYD2015 and beyond!, and the campaign Stop Mad Mining.

The conference focused on the humanitarian, social and environmental impacts of Global Supply Chains in reference to metallic raw materials and food that is sourced from the Global North. The conference focused on a number of situations in the ground and on legislations.

The conference was headlined by Mrs. Sophia Pickles from the international NGO Global Witness (UK) and Dr. Martin Wildenberg from the International NGO Global 2000 (AU). The keynote speakers talked about their experience on the effects and legislative efforts of Supply Chains around the globe pertaining to the Conflict mineral trade, the branded products and tropical fruits and focused especially on the legislative processes that have started emerging in trying to regulate the adverse effects of the global supply chains in communities, environment and development. Finally the speeches were completed with Dr. Charalambos Theopemptou (Cyprus MP) who spoke about the obstructionistic challenges faced in the Cyprus Parliament in enforcing EU legislation.

The conference was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it was intended as a lobby conference to catch up important stakeholders with the current developments in terms of reigning in the Global Trade and Global Supply Chains.

After the conference two workshops were held on the Raw materials legislation and the Tropical Fruits and Branded products, respectively.

You can watch the video recording of the conference below. Visit the Resources section of the Ethical Mining website to view the conference presentations.