WDC’s 7th Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg in July

The World Diamond Council (WDC) has announced that registration has begun for the organization's seventh Annual Meeting, which will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 14-15. At the heart of this year’s meeting are ethical diamond trading and conflict diamonds.

The first day of the WDC annual meeting will comprise of committee working sessions. The official opening of the meeting will take place on the morning of second day, followed by the WDC plenary session.

The guest of honor and keynote speaker at the plenary session will be Boaz Hirsch, chairman of the Kimberley Process and a senior Israeli government official. A Gala Dinner will conclude the proceedings on the second day.

“Our industry will gather at the World Diamond Council Annual Meeting to reconfirm our commitment to ethical trading and to the eradication of conflict diamonds from our distribution chain," said WDC Chairman Eli Izhakoff. He added that the WDC will not be assembling simply to pay lip-service. “The ongoing situation in countries like Zimbabwe and the dedication of our industry to operate in a transparent and principled manner means that there are burning issues on the table, which we will discuss and for which we will formulate strategies."

The event is hosted by the Diamond Chamber of Russia and is expected to draw senior government and jewelry industry officials from Russia and other countries.

Registration to participate at the meeting has started. Registration forms can be downloaded from the meeting’s mini-website, www.diamond-chamber.ru/wdceng.htm.

The WDC Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg will commence the day after the close of the World Diamond Congress of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), which is taking place in Moscow, July 11-13.