Category Archives: Press

PASSAGE OF CLEAN DIAMOND LEGISLATION HAILED BY SPOKESMEN FOR INDUSTRY IN U.S. AND ABROAD

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NEW YORK, April 9 – Representatives of the diamond and jewelry industries greeted House approval of the Clean Diamond Trade Act yesterday as a crucial advance in the international campaign to eliminate the immoral traffic in conflict diamonds. They urged prompt enactment of the bill and pledged the industry’s full cooperation in helping to implement the control system now being put in place.

In a joint statement, Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World Diamond Council (WDC), and Matthew Runci, executive director of the WDC and president/CEO of Jewelers of America (JA), said:

“Passage of HR 1584 with overwhelming bipartisan support vindicates the efforts of many interested parties – in government, humanitarian organizations and industry – who have worked hard to rid the world of conflict diamonds. We look forward to prompt approval by the Senate and President Bush so that the United States can be a full partner in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

“All nations that participate to any appreciable degree in the diamond trade, with industry’s cooperation, agreed last November on the Kimberley Process rules. They are designed to protect the legitimate supply chain from the threat of exploitation by violent criminals who have used diamonds as a means of financing senseless combat in parts of Africa. As the world’s largest importer of diamonds, the U.S. has a particularly critical role to play in enforcing the new system.

“While the success of the Kimberley Process will depend heavily on sound government enforcement, the industry also has a significant part going forward. Working primarily through the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), the World Diamond Council has created a regimen of self-regulation to supplement government measures. We understand that this imposes a significant responsibility not only on these and other organizations, but also on their constituents worldwide. We are committed to meeting this responsibility on a permanent basis.”

INDUSTRY WELCOMES SIGNING OF CLEAN DIAMOND BILL AND URGES STRONG ENFORCEMENT OF KIMBERLEY PROCESS

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NEW YORK, April 25 – President Bush’s signing of the Clean Diamond Trade Act is a major milestone in the campaign to eliminate conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, industry spokesmen said today. They pointed out that the international certification system that the United States has now joined requires strong enforcement and ongoing review to fulfill its goals.

In a joint statement, Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World Diamond Council (WDC), and Matthew Runci, executive director of WDC and president/CEO of Jewelers of America (JA), said:

Enactment of the Clean Diamond Trade Act makes the U.S. a full participant in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), and this participation is critical to the system’s success in excluding conflict diamonds from the legitimate supply chain. The industry is proud to have played an active role in the progress achieved so far.

Now the international community has the task of building on the strong foundation represented by KPCS. Participating governments will have that opportunity when they meet in Johannesburg starting April 28. This plenary session will consider proposals for standardizing the compilation and analysis of government trade statistics and for monitoring enforcement of the certification scheme going forward. This is essentially the responsibility of governments of all the nations involved in extracting, processing, exporting and importing of rough diamonds.

Industry supports these deliberations. We will work for the creation of a practical and effective statistics regime and a credible and effective monitoring system. In industry’s view, these tasks are particularly important in the context of producing countries, where in some instances effective control measures and reliable statistics will require technical assistance and support from outside sources.

As a supplement to the government-enforced certification program, the industry has established a system of warranties under which dealers purchase stones only from sellers who attest to the merchandise’s legitimacy. The WDC, JA and other industry trade groups have been informing their constituents worldwide of the importance of their adhering to the warranty program for the purpose of supporting the KPCS. We have also been informing these constituents – in detail – of their responsibilities in complying with the KPCS for cross-border trade in rough diamonds and implementing the warranty program. These efforts will continue.

To underpin the voluntary system of warranties, individual members of the international diamond industry and trade are to instruct their independent auditors to verify that records of warranties are being created and maintained, in the normal course of business, in full compliance with the KPCS. This certification should be subject to government verification and we urge governments to perform that function.

The campaign to eliminate conflict diamonds owes its progress to cooperation among the United Nations, officials of many governments, the industry, and humanitarian organizations that have been active in this cause. We hope that this cooperative effort will endure as the effort enters its next phase.

U.S. Regulations Backing Kimberley Process To Be In Place By End Of July

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NEW YORK (July 28, 2003) – The World Diamond Council, in a continuing effort to implement the Kimberley Process in the United States, announced today that U.S. regulations are expected to be fully in place by the end of July in compliance with deadlines set at the April meeting of the Kimberley Process.

“We welcome full implementation of the Kimberley Process system in the United States,” said Eli Izhakoff, Chairman and CEO of the World Diamond Council. “Given the importance of the U.S. market to the diamond industry, full compliance with international agreements to protect the legitimate trade from conflict diamonds is imperative.”

Jay Bruns, the U.S. State Department’s Special Negotiator for Conflict Diamonds, has provided the WDC with updated information regarding U.S. regulations that will change U.S. Customs procedures. From the date the rules go into effect, rough diamonds will no longer be permitted entry into the United States unless they are accompanied by an authentic Kimberley Process certificate from the originating country. The certificates state that the diamonds are handled in compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and with United Nations resolutions preventing the trade in conflict diamonds.

The federal rules further require that rough diamonds exported from the United States be accompanied by a U.S. Kimberley Process certificate, issued through the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority (USKPA). The rules will require each certificate be assigned a unique number by the Automated Export System of the U.S. Census Bureau.

The USKPA is an industry-based entity that licenses shipping and diamond companies to issue K.P. certificates for use with exports of rough diamonds from the United States. Strict procedures for issuing and tracking K.P. certificates are required by the USKPA. Periodic audits are conducted by the USKPA to assure the integrity of the system. The directors of the USKPA are Matthew Runci of Jewelers of America, Martin Hochbaum of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York, and Cecilia Gardner of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

Supplementing the legal obligations provided by the new federal rules, the U.S. industry has agreed to participate in a voluntary international program of self-regulation by providing warranties for all diamonds. These warranties, provided by suppliers of rough and polished diamonds as well as suppliers of jewelry containing diamonds, state that the diamonds have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The warranties serve as an assurance that the diamonds sold are conflict free. This warranty can then be passed through all levels of the trade, down to consumers, who can be assured by retailers that the diamonds they buy have not been used to fund conflict.

“Vital to the success of the voluntary system of warranties is the initiative of retail jewelers in consistently securing from their diamond and diamond jewelry suppliers the appropriate warranty language either on invoices accompanying shipments or in legally binding contractual agreements with those vendors,” said Matthew Runci, President/CEO of JA and Executive Director of the WDC. “Accordingly, JA today announced that it is enlisting the active support of all state jewelry associations in its continuing effort to secure utilization of the system of warranties by all JA member jewelers. State associations that secure written commitments from all of their members to utilize the warranties will receive special supplementary subsidies for education programs at their events.”

Recommended guidance and information materials for retail jewelers, including sample language for use with vendors, may be downloaded from the JA website, www.jewelers.org.

WDC has made available a guide booklet for compliance with the Kimberley Process certification system. The booklet is available from the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the Diamond Dealers Club of New York, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, the American Gem Society, Jewelers of America, the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, and CIBJO (the International Jewellery Confederation). It can also be downloaded from www.worlddiamondcouncil.org, www.jvclegal.org and www.jewelers.org.

Statement From The World Diamond Council

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NEW YORK (October 21, 2003) – The World Diamond Council, as representative of the diamond and jewelry industries worldwide, strongly urges the governments of all nations participating in the Kimberley Process to adopt credible and effective measures for peer review when they convene for the next Plenary of the KP in Sun City, South Africa, October 29-31. The WDC will participate in the upcoming session in its official capacity as KP observer.

Eli Izhakoff, chairman and CEO of the WDC, said, “It is absolutely vital that a peer review regime be devised that insures the public and consumers alike that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for cross border trade in rough diamonds is working precisely as its framers originally intended in order to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. Effective peer review is critical to the credibility of the system because monitoring of government controls on cross-border trade will verify compliance with KPCS measures. This credibility is essential if we are to safeguard against conflict diamonds and if the reputation of diamonds as a consumer good is to be protected.”

Resources already available to the Chair to conduct reviews should be brought to bear progressively on those situations where indications of non-compliance warrant closer examination. Recourse to scrutiny, including review missions, in situations where there are credible indications of serious non-compliance, must be available and be applied as frequently as circumstances warrant.

WDC concurs that essential elements in an effective peer review mechanism should include a range of measures, including a standard formulation of annual reporting by Participants, systematic coordinated analysis of all information submitted by Participants, requests for additional information and clarification, and the dispatch of review missions where there are credible indications of significant non-compliance with the certification scheme by a given Participant. Review of KPCS implementation by all Participants must be conducted in full accordance with national law, on an equal and non-discriminatory basis and, with particular emphasis on those cases where there are such indications.

In addition, KPCS should address capacity building among Participants for purposes of improving systems for implementing KPCS, indicating areas where technical assistance may be needed, and making possible early appraisals of new Participants. System wide, then, this process will permit the KPCS to improve though the adoption of “best practice” compliance techniques developed during the cumulative course of many reviews.

Diamond Industry and NGOs Hail Kimberley Process Breakthrough

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Sun City, South Africa (31st October 2003) – At the Kimberley Process Plenary meeting held at Sun City, South Africa on the 29th through 31st of October 2003, more than 70 countries, the NGO community, and the World Diamond Council (WDC), representing the international diamond industry, agreed unanimously to implement a voluntary “peer review” system to ensure the credibility of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The World Diamond Council applauds this breakthrough, which will help secure the diamond industry’s vital interests and strengthen consumer confidence.

At the Plenary, Canada was unanimously acclaimed as successor to South Africa at the helm of the Kimberley Process. In addition, the Russian Federation was selected as Vice-Chair, the first occupant of that position.

Mr. Eli Izhakoff, Chairman of the WDC, said, “We are delighted that Canada has agreed to take on the responsibility of leading the international community, with the active support of the NGOs and the whole diamond industry, in our collective determination to prevent funding of conflict, and to protect both the diamond trade and consumers. We also welcome Russia’s selection as Vice-Chair, which will provide continuity for the future.

“The WDC would like to take this opportunity to salute the tremendous work done by South Africa in first initiating and then chairing the Kimberley Process during its critical formative stages with such commitment and skill, and Mr. Abbey Chikane, in particular, for his patience, vision and diplomatic prowess. The diamond industry looks forward, under the guidance of Canada, to continuing the excellent progress made to date.”

Abbey Chikane Named WDC Director

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The World Diamond Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Abbey Chikane of South Africa as a director of the organization.  Chikane joins fellow directors Sean Cohen, Eli Izhakoff, Peter Meeus, Sergey Oulin, Matt Runci and Shmuel Schnitzer.

Mr. Chikane most recently served as chair of the Kimberley Process during the period of South Africa’s leadership of that process.  He is widely recognized as having skillfully guided the multilateral negotiations between governments, civil society, and industry leading up to the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme earlier this year.

Mr. Chikane’s term as chair concluded at the recent plenary meeting in Sun City, South Africa where Canada assumed the reins of leadership of the KPCS in the year ahead.  Mr. Chikane resides in his hometown of Johannesburg, where he is continuing to help reinvent the city that was built on gold.

World Diamond Council Convenes 3rd Annual Meeting: WDC Leadership in Kimberley Process: Action to Protect Consumers

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Dubai, 31st March, 2004: The 3rd Annual Meeting of the World Diamond Council convened March 29-31, 2004 in Dubai – United Arab Emirates. The meeting, bringing together more than 100 leaders from the diamond and jewelry industry worldwide, governments and civil society, was organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and U.A.E Minister of Defense and was hosted by the Dubai Metals & Commodities Centre (DMCC).

In convening the gathering, WDC Chairman and CEO Eli Izhakoff set the tone for the two-day meeting by noting that through industry unity much has already been achieved, yet, at the same time, on many fronts much more work remains to be done.

Among the many key figures addressing the group, were Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of the De Beers Group; Tim Martin, Chairman of the Kimberley Process; Viatcheslav Shtyrov, President of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Vice Chairman of the Kimberley Process; Abbey Chikane, immediate Past Chair of the Kimberley Process and officials from the US Department of Treasury.

One theme of the meeting was “achievements to date”. Speaker after speaker noted contributions of the WDC on the industry’s behalf in developing and assisting with the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), fully operational in September 2003. At the same time discussion usefully pointed out further work to be completed by the KPCS and the continued importance of the WDC in that regard. While KPCS has helped to ensure that the trade in conflict diamonds has been curtailed, it is vital that control measures be refined and remain effective. Mr. Izhakoff praised the U.A.E for being the first Kimberley Process participant country to volunteer for a ‘peer review’ visit on internal control mechanisms.

“We applaud the UAE for taking the lead. As the first from the forty-seven participants of the Process, the UAE has set a trend for others to follow. We encourage such transparency and believe this step will accelerate Dubai towards establishing an internationally acclaimed diamond center of note,” stated Mr. Izhakoff.

Concerning the review visit, Mr. Tim Martin, Chairman of the Kimberley Process stated, “With the co-operation of DMCC and local authorities, the team, led by Dr. Florika Fink-Hooper of the European Commission, completed the review of the implementation of the Kimberley Process in the UAE. And the peer review system of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is off to a good start and thanks go to the UAE.”

WDC takes great exception to a report issued by Global Witness and completely and utterly rejects the representation of industry as unable to offer proper assurance to consumers. At the same time WDC acknowledges that there is more work to be done to ensure industry awareness at all levels of the trade. WDC also recognizes the continuing importance of greater transparency throughout the diamond trade in order to reduce vulnerability to external threats.

Mr. Martin said, “The diamond industry’s contribution through the World Diamond Council is an essential contribution to the implementation of the KPCS. “

WDC is the worldwide organization created by the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers’ Association to organize and coordinate pan-industry efforts to stop the trade in conflict diamonds.

World Diamond Council Endorses Historic Decision By Kimberley Process Chair

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The World Diamond Council welcomes the announcement by the Chair of the Kimberley Process that the Congo Republic (Congo-Brazzaville) has been expelled from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme based on the results of a visit by its team of experts to that country last month. While it is certainly regrettable that any country should have to be expelled, in the Council’s view this decisive step demonstrates that the KPCS process is robust and has teeth.

Eli Izhakoff, chairman and CEO of the WDC said, “A credible and effective KPCS is essential to the continued viability of the legitimate diamond trade and to the positive image and reputation of the product. These are core elements in the foundation of consumer confidence in diamonds as a symbol of love. The diamond industry fully supports the Chairman’s decision.”

The World Diamond Council believes that it is absolutely vital to the credibility the KPCS scheme that its tolerance standards be rigorous and systematically applied. In its report, the KPCS fact-finding mission stated that it found Congo was exporting diamonds at a rate approximately 100 times greater than its estimated production. Moreover, the report cited the inability of authorities to account for the massive discrepancy between the volume of exports on the one hand and of domestic production and imports on the other. Given the explicit evidence that large quantities of diamonds have moved from Brazzaville with KPCS certificates into the legitimate diamond trading stream, the conditions cited by KP Chair Tim Martin as justification for the decision to expel this the Congo Republic from the system are entirely justified. 

World Diamond Council concludes Annual Meeting in Sicily, reaffirms commitment to end conflict diamond trade

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CATANIA, SICILY, February 7, 2006 – The World Diamond Council has concluded its fourth Annual Meeting in Catania, Sicily. More than 100 representatives of the international diamond and jewelry industries, governments, international organizations and NGOs reaffirmed their commitment to prevent the infiltration of conflict diamonds into the legitimate diamond trade.

The Annual Meeting of the World Diamond Congress was hosted in Sicily by Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, the president of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and by the Government of the Province of Catania, which also sponsored event.

In his report to the annual meeting, World Diamond Council President Eli Izhakoff outlined the involvement of the World Diamond Council in the Kimberley Process Monitoring System, and called on industry leaders to redouble efforts ensure compliance with the voluntary system of warranties for polished diamonds and jewelry containing diamonds.

Izhakoff also emphasized the importance of informing the general public about the industry’s efforts, so as to dispel a distorted image that sometimes is created by the popular media. ”The industry will soon be challenged by the fallout from a major Hollywood production [The Blood Diamond], starring Leonardo DiCaprio and tackling the issue of what most probably will be referred to in the media as ‘blood diamonds.’ Instead of running for cover, I would suggest that we take a positive, proactive approach. The fact that we all are gathered here today is positive proof that the gemstone and jewelry industry is not prepared to allow conflict diamonds to sully our reputation. Our actions over the past several years demonstrate clearly that we have nothing to be ashamed about. Indeed, the work that has been done by the World Diamond Council should be used as an example by others in the business community as to how an industry can unite in order to better society in general. We clearly are not part of the problem, but rather we are part of the solution,” he said.

On the second day of the meeting, Izhakoff and Kago G. Moshashane, the chairman of the Kimberley Process and the deputy permanent secretary of Botswana’s Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, produced a joint letter that is being sent to Edward Zwick, the producer of The Blood Diamond, requesting that the movie provide accurate and up to date information about the conflict diamond trade in Sierra Leone, which is the country in which it is set. (See accompanying press release.)

In their letter, Izhakoff and Moshashane noted that the period in which the movie is set predates the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and, thus, without clearly mentioning this fact, the movie could present a distorted picture of reality to the general public.

In his keynote address to the meeting, Moshashane said the joint efforts of government, civil society and the diamond and jewelry industries in tackling the conflict diamond issue helped bring about a reduction in the incidence of civil war in the affected areas. “As it happens, during the three years since the Kimberley Process diamond certification system began to operate, there has been a very substantial down-scaling in those conflicts which were thought to be fuelled partly by the sale of stolen diamonds. Much as our own organizations would like to claim full credit for this, there were, no doubt, other contributory factors at work. But there is no doubt in my mind that the relative speed with which the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was implemented, the swift implementation by the WDC of industry codes of conduct, and the strength of the international consensus that was achieved, all contributed to the retreat of the men of violence,” he stated.

During the meeting, a special committee was created with the aim of introducing programs to increase awareness in the diamond and jewelry industries about the chain of warrantees that diamonds are conflict free. One of these programs will involve the establishment of World Diamond Council booths at jewelry trade fairs worldwide.

A three-year review of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is about to get underway, the program of which was outlined by Abdul Omar, a senior policy advisor at Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Izhakoff stressed the industry’s commitment to compliance, and noted that this will be part of the wide-ranging review.

In his speech to the conference, Shmuel Schnitzer, the president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, reaffirmed the commitment of all diamond bourse members to uphold the requirements of the Kimberley Process. “Our commitment derives primarily from our full recognition that the diamond industry, which is so proud of the purity of our product, must not and can not be involved in any shape or form with violence or the financing, even indirect, of conflicts that distort and contradict the untainted nature of the diamond,” he stated.

Jeffrey Fischer, the president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, stressed the efficiency of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The system of the Kimberley Certificated accompanying, international shipments of rough diamond is operating reasonably smoothly and according to design, so that there is actually very little to report about it,” he stated. “While it is not without flaw, it continues to improve constantly, with circumstances constantly changing, and with nations such as Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire barred from exporting rough, as they have been determined to be non-compliant to the KP Certification system. The importance of compliance—and the penalties of non-compliance—are becoming clear over time.”

In a letter sent to the chairman of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Review of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, the Alrosa Investment Group suggested that the Kimberley Process be formally institutionalized, thereby strengthening its legal standing.

“As the representative of those who are most closely concerned with the extraction, manufacturing and sale of diamonds on the ground, the WDC will continue to provide expert and technical assistance to the various KPCS functionaries, and guidance to the industry on the details of the KPCS and the system of warranties,” Izhakoff said, addressing the meeting. “We should not only do the right thing, but we also should be seen to be doing the right thing. In the current political and business environment it is essential that we are successful in projecting an image of a socially-conscious industry that considers good business and ethical business to be one and the same thing.”

 

World Diamond Council (Concilio Mondiale dei Diamanti)

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Considerando l’incremento delle violazioni sui diritti fondamentali dell’uomo, le violenze e le atrocità commesse contro le vittime innocenti nei paesi centro africani produttori di diamanti la federazione mondiale delle borse dei diamanti e l’associazione internazionale di fabbricanti tagliatori di diamanti hanno unanimemente deciso con una risoluzione nello storico incontro di Anversa di luglio 2000 di istituire un nuovo grande organismo per combattere questi gravi avvenimenti e quindi è nato il World Diamond Council.

La risoluzione ha previsto che nel World Diamond Council erano da includere rappresentanti non solo dell’industria diamantifera mondiale ma anche dei governi rappresentanti i paesi produttori, unitamente ai governi delle maggiori nazioni del mondo che giocano un ruolo economico di grande rilievo incorporando anche i settori dell’alta finanza e delle banche internazionali.

Il mandato del World Diamond Council è lo sviluppo, l’incremento, la direzione e la supervisione di un sistema attraverso cui il controllo dei diamanti grezzi dalle aeree produttive ai mercati internazionali attraverso anche il controllo finanziario delle transazioni potesse prevenire qualsiasi illiceità e creare una barriera insormontabile contro il terrorismo ed il riciclaggio di denaro sporco, non solo per proteggere l’industria di diamanti ma per riaffermare i diritti fondamentali dell’uomo e l’azione della comunità economica diamantifera contro i cosiddetti blood o conflict diamonds.

Eli Izhakoff il presidente onorario della federazione mondiale della borsa dei diamanti fu eletto presidente del World Diamond Council con consenso unanime riconoscendogli grandissime doti diplomatiche, di leadership, di visione profonda, di capacità organizzativa e di alta negoziazione politica.

In settembre dello stesso anno con l’accordo di tutte queste entità economiche, sociali, bancarie finanziarie, governative e di rappresentanza di settore si incontrarono formalmente a Tel-Aviv dove fu stabilita la linea di condotta di governo per combattere il tragico fenomeno dei conflict diamonds. Successivamente una grande coalizione venne formata associando le organizzazioni governative finalizzate ad avere un’azione più incisiva e penetrante. Quando si iniziò subito dopo l’incontro di Tel-Aviv attraverso un’approfondita ricerca, fu evidenziato che l’entità percentuale del grave problema dei conflict diamonds era pari a circa il 3/4% dell’intera produzione dei diamanti grezzi. Era imperativo procedere con un sistema di controllo e certificazione che eliminasse alla base ogni possibilità di far passare da tutti i canali sia industriali che finanziari operazioni che influivano negativamente sull’intera industria diamantifera, sulla sua immagine e quindi sulla vera tutela dei consumatori.

Da ciò nacque il Kimberley Process. Il Kimberley Process, sistema di controllo e certificazione in collaborazione con i governi, le industrie, le organizzazione governative, le banche ed i sistemi finanziari tutte rappresentate dal World Diamond Council, vide la luce nell’anno 2000 a Kimberley (famosa area mineraria del Sud Africa). Si vide immediatamente che questo sistema di autocertificazione emesso dai governi firmatari (51 governi, inclusa l’Europa come un Governo) cominciò ad avere successo. Infatti il sistema subito incrementato affinandolo nei metodi e nelle tecniche di applicazione tali che nessun commerciante tagliatore e comunque facente parte del mondo dell’industria dei diamanti potesse fisicamente ricevere partite di diamanti che non fossero accompagnati dal certificato emesso dai Governi, accompagnato dall’autocertificazione in fattura, elementi indispensabili per poterli immettere nei mercati.

Il risultato di tutto ciò è stato che nell’arco di 5 anni l’entità numerica di queste violazioni è passata dal 3/4% allo 0,02%.

Il ruolo quindi del World Diamond Council di cui Eli Izhakoff è il Presidente e Gaetano Cavalieri è il CFO hanno saputo gestire ed indirizzare un sistema così complesso di operazioni che hanno portato ad un risultato talmente considerevole che la stessa assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite nella seduta del 23 dicembre 2005, ha ritenuto di approvare unanimemente una risoluzione per la grave questione dei cosiddetti conflict diamonds di cui sia Izhakoff che Cavalieri hanno espresso grande soddisfazione.

Per la prima volta nella storia il sistema pubblico ed il sistema privato hanno operato in una tale simbiosi da eliminare alla radice i problemi che affliggevano l’industria diamantifera. Si dimostra che sul piano globale tale collaborazione ed il dialogo sono i migliori strumenti per raggiungere obiettivi comuni.