The programme and agenda for the 2016 CIBJO Congress which opens on October 26 in Yerevan, Armenia has been published on the organisation’s website, CIBJO said in a release yesterday. The dedicated website allows has the schedules and other related documents for various sessions in downloadable formats.

It may be recalled that over the past few weeks the different sectoral bodies of CIBJO, also known as Working Groups or Commissions have each published their own individual reports which will form the basis for discussions at their breakway meetings during the Congress.

Additionally, the agendas and documentation related to sessions that encompass the entire CIBJO membership are also available online, the CIBJO statement said.

Details of various social programmes like tours of heritage sites, cultural and religious monuments, the largest diamond cutting plant in the region and of the city’s unique streets and buildings (Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world and many buildings on some streets are built with the rosy volcanic stone “Tufa”) are also available online.

Pre-Congress committee and other meetings begin on October 24 and the Congress itself will conclude on October 28.

Members of national jewellery and gemstone associations from more than 40 countries and representatives of many of the industry's most important commercial bodies are expected to attend the sessions.

This is the first time that a CIBJO Congress is taking place in a Central Asian country. It is being hosted by the Armenian Jewellers Association (AJA).