World Diamond Council​

INTRODUCTION

The World Diamond Council (WDC) is an industry association that works to safeguard the integrity of natural diamonds and their distribution chain. 

Formed in 2000 to combat the trade in conflict diamonds, the WDC now extends its mission to ensure that all diamonds are handled following universal principles of human rights, labor rights, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering. 

The WDC’s membership includes businesses and organizations from all sectors of the diamond industry, from rough diamond producers to retail jewelers.

THE WDC IN THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS

The WDC represents the diamond industry in the Kimberley Process (KP), working alongside 89 governments and civil society representatives. 

As an Observer, the WDC collaborates with KP Participants to develop regulations that prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate supply chain, as well as restrict the trade of embargoed diamonds. 

The WDC also supports the KP though technical, financial and other means, including the Administrative Support Mechanism (AMS), which provides ongoing logistic and managerial assistance to the KP Chair and the KP Working Group.

FULFILLING THE WDC MISSION

The WDC seeks to meet its goal through international advocacy, educating the industry, collaborating with other organizations, and creating tools that protect the diamond distribution chain.

 

 A key program is the WDC System of Warranties, which requires buyers and sellers of diamonds to include a warranty statement on sales documents, ensuring that the diamonds came from KP-compliant sources and were handled responsibly and ethically.

HISTORY OF THE WDC

The WDC was established in July 2000 at the World Diamond Congress in Antwerp, Belgium, by the WFDB and IDMA. Becoming the industry’s representative in the KP, it played a central role in developing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). 

In 2002, WDC introduced the System of Warranties (SoW) to verify the integrity of diamonds each time they change hands. In 2021, WDC launched the revised SoW, with a broader commitment to universal ethical business principles.

ABOVE: Antwerp, July 2000, at the World Diamond Congress where the WDC was established. Industry and government officials gather to discuss the conflict diamonds crisis in Africa (from left) Stephane Fischler, IDMA Vice President and later a WDC President; Gary Ralfe, De Beers Managing Director; Robert Fowler, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nation; and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, South Africa’s Minister of Minerals and Energy.