Antwerp diamond conference set for October

Antwerp—The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) will host a conference to discuss the future of the diamond industry, particularly how the growing power of diamond-producing countries will impact the industry.

"Producers in Transition: the Changing Industry Dynamic" will be held Oct. 15 and 16 at the Flanders Congress & Concert Centre here.

Diamond industry journalist and consultant Chaim Even-Zohar will moderate the meeting, which will bring together top government officials from South Africa, Angola, Botswana and Liberia, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, global development campaigner Bob Geldof, and representatives from leading mining companies and producing countries.

"The changes we are seeing now are transforming the global diamond industry more significantly than we have seen for many years," AWDC Chief Executive Officer Freddy Hanard said in a statement. "Not only are we witnessing changes in production and distribution, there will also be impacts on diamond trading and marketing around the world."

Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa, and senior representatives from Angola, Botswana, Canada, Liberia and Russia are scheduled to begin the conference, offering their perspectives on the development of their countries' diamond industries and how they intend to gain greater benefits from the diamond supply chain.

Stiglitz, former chief economist for the World Bank and winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, will then discuss whether the ambitions of producer countries are economically feasible.

Representatives from major mining companies, including De Beers, Alrosa, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, will follow.

Other speakers will include Paul C. Goris, chairman of the Antwerp Diamond Bank, and Karel Kovanda, president of the Kimberley Process.

Geldof will present the event's keynote speech at a gala dinner.

For more information, visit www.antwerpdiamondconference.be.