NEW YORK: APRIL 3, 2013 – Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, the Chair of the Kimberley Process, has confirmed that he will attend as a guest of honor the Ninth Annual Meeting of the World Diamond Council, which will take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 5 and 6, 2013. He will address the Plenary Session.
Ambassador Nhlapo, who assumed the post of KP Chair at the beginning of 2013, earlier served as Ambassador Nhlapo, He has also served as National Security Special Adviser to South African President Jacob Zuma, and as South Africa’s Special Representative to the Great Lakes countries, including Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Also confirming his attendance at the WDC Annual Meeting is Tung-Lai Margue, Director, Head of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission, which is the EU body that oversees Kimberley Process compliance in the European Union. Mr. Margue also will address the Plenary Session.
The WDC Annual Meeting, which will gather together leaders of the diamond and jewelry industries from around the world, as well as representatives of government and civil society, is the official forum for the General Assembly of the WDC. The host of the meeting will be the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies.
The first day of the Annual Meeting, May 5, will include a WDC board meeting and a get-together reception in the evening. The second day, May 6, will include the WDC Plenary Session, and it will conclude with a gala dinner.
The dedicated WDC Annual Meeting website, which enables registration for the meeting as well as the booking of hotel accommodation at special rates, is located at: http://meeting2013.worlddiamondcouncil.org/