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Antwerp, Belgium – May 16, 2016: The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) held its committee meetings on Monday ahead of the official opening of the 37th World Diamond Congress
on Tuesday. The Congress, being held from May 16 to 19 in Dubai, is a biennial meeting held together with the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA). The first day is traditionally taken up with meetings of the WFDB’s major committees: the Judicial, Trade and Business, Promotion, and the Executive Committee.
“These are critical meetings for the WFDB which deal with the many issues that crop up between our regular gatherings as well as ongoing topics which were discussed at great length
by our Presidents,” said WFDB President Ernie Blom. “It is vital that we hear perspectives which come from different areas of the diamond world and which are informed by the deep experience of our delegates. The meetings were extremely well attended and there was a great deal of interest from industry stakeholders, as well as our bourse presidents, with many questions raised.
“The Trade and Business Committee met for the first time and discussed the issues of profitability, synthetics, banking and finance,” Blom explained. “And the Promotion Committee heard about the WFDB’s new Communications Strategy and its work in promoting our organisation via Social Media as well as receiving a report on the work of the World Diamond Mark,” Blom added.
The opening session of the Congress, being hosted by the Dubai Diamond Exchange at the Almas Tower, will take place on May 17th, with speeches from WFDB President Ernie Blom, IDMA Secretary-General Ronnie Vanderlinden, Dubai Diamond Exchange Chairman Peter Meeus, and Executive Chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and Chair of the Kimberley Process, Ahmed Bin Sulayem. Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, the President of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, will also be attending the Congress and its meetings.
ABOUT THE WFDB:
The World Federation of Diamond Bourses has 30 affiliated bourse members and exists to protect the interests of affiliated bourses and their individual members, and also to further the amicable settlement or arbitration of disputes between individual members of the affiliated bourses and/or between affiliated bourses. The WFDB participates in the promotion of world trade and encourages the establishment of new diamond bourses. In 2012, it established The World Diamond Mark, a not-for-profit organisation, to promote consumer desirability and confidence in diamonds.
Members of affiliated bourses pledge to uphold the traditions, principles of mutual trust, consideration and friendship which prevail among the members of the bourses worldwide. They also pledge themselves to abide by and hand down these principles and to ensure that they will forever serve as a basis in business relations between members of affiliated bourses.
