Les conditions disputées d’un approvisionnement « responsable » en or

Abstract

This article analyzes the conditions of responsibility in the supply chain of gold imported to Switzerland and refined there. Starting from the paradox that is a sector both acting as a guarantor and erasing the traces of the potentially contentious past of this gold, it examines the legal struggles and issues establishing that the supply is responsible. It details the multiple modes of responsibility implemented through vigilance, traceability, and transparency. The article suggests that the ambiguous status of gold as a monetary asset and a commodity neutralizes the links of ownership and provenance that are nonetheless central to identification, accountability, and to the verification of responsibilities.

Keywords

• responsible sourcing
• gold
• vigilance
• traceability
• transparency
• Switzerland