The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is advocating for the establishment of additional rough diamond verification points outside the EU. The organisation emphasised the importance of transparency and sustainability in the global diamond industry, aligning with the highest ethical standards. AWDC said it fully supports the G7’s decision to ban Russian diamonds from entering G7 and EU markets.
AWDC said, “That is why we absolutely believe that we must work towards a solid verification system, underpinned by traceability, that is workable for all parties involved. However, as an industry organization, representing and defending the interests of the diamond industry, we also feel we must ensure that the trade of non-sanctioned goods is not disrupted.”
As discussions on the implementation of G7 measures continue, AWDC is pushing for verification points outside the G7 to enhance control systems, especially benefiting African producing countries.
“As AWDC, we are pro-actively advocating for the implementation of one or more additional rough verification points outside the G7. We believe this is a necessary step in the further development towards a control system that meets the interest of all stakeholders involved, in particular those of African producing countries,” it noted.
The conversations are progressing constructively, and AWDC is hopeful that G7 and EU partners will support this initiative. “Our primary objective is to enable the industry to adapt to the new reality of traceability, avoiding that our stakeholders get overwhelmed by an abrupt transition towards this kind of traceability system. We are confident that we are supported by political stakeholders in this vision, as we are all working towards a common objective of optimal collaboration, transparency and efficiency.”