WDC to Discuss Eradication of Conflict Diamonds in Jerusalem

Eradicating the flow of conflict diamonds will be at the heart of the World Diamond Council’s (WDC) fifth annual meeting to be held May 9 and 10 in Jerusalem.

“I salute all the participants of the Kimberley Process, including the World Diamond Council, industry and NGOs, in reducing conflict diamonds to less than one percent of world rough diamond production,” says Gareth Penny, managing director of the De Beers Group, and the Israeli diamond industry-hosted event’s keynote speaker.

“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.” 

According to WDC Chairman Eli Izhakoff, the organization “Continues to be at the forefront of the vital [conflict diamond] issue by continuing to work with government and non-government partners to stop this evil trade. It is our hope that by gathering all interested parties at this forum we will be able to take great strides to make conflict diamonds a thing of the past.”

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”.

Online registration for the fifth annual World Diamond Council meeting is available at www.5-wdcmeeting.com.