’Hope for Tangible Results’ as WDC Congress Opens in Jerusalem

The fifth World Diamond Council (WDC) congress, which will focus on the eradication of conflict diamonds, opens today in Jerusalem.

The event brings together members of the diamond industry from Israel, the United States, Russia, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, China, Canada and more.

Israel’s deputy prime minister Shimon Peres will address representatives of the international diamond industry as they roll up their sleeves Wednesday and Thursday for a series of discussions on topics affecting the trade.

Gareth Penny, De Beers’ Managing Director, will deliver the keynote address Thursday. Penny recently said that “the WDC meeting presents an opportunity to further build on the successes to date and the strong commitment of the 71 countries in the Kimberley Process to work with industry and participating NGOs to eliminate the very last traces of conflict diamonds.”

Lev Leviev, WFDB president Ernie Blom, Alrosa president Sergey Vibornov, and other diamond industry heavyweights will address participants, as well as NGO and government representatives from the U.S. and EU.

“We hope to come out of the two day conference with some tangible results and specific ways that all of us, industry, government, and civil society can make a difference,” said Eli Izhakoff, Chairman of the WDC.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former prime minister and leader of the country’s opposition, will speak at the gala dinner.

The WDC represents over 50 diamond mining companies, trade associations, manufacturers, and retailers around the world. Created in Antwerp in 2000, the organization’s mandate is to develop, implement, and oversee a tracking system for the export and import of rough diamonds to prevent their exploitation for “illicit purposes such as war and inhumane acts”.