Key takeaways
• World Diamond Council President Ronnie VanderLinden praised the Kimberley Process (KP) for its ability to collaborate across government, industry, and civil society to address major issues like the KP Secretariat’s funding challenge.
• The KP Intersessional Meeting in Mumbai highlighted a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the natural diamond trade through India’s “”3Cs”” vision of Confidence, Credibility, and Compliance.
• VanderLinden called for urgent reforms to the Kimberley Process definition of conflict diamonds to ensure it reflects modern realities and maintains global belief in what natural diamonds represent.
(MUMBAI/NEW YORK) – World Diamond Council President Ronnie VanderLinden closed the Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting in Mumbai with a call for continued unity across the natural diamond trade after participants worked together to address major issues facing the organization, including a funding challenge at the KP Secretariat.
WDC President Ronnie VanderLinden addressing the Closing Session of the Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting in Mumbai, India, on May 14, 2026.
“What we saw this week was the Kimberley Process at its best,” VanderLinden said in closing remarks delivered at the final Plenary session. “People from every part of this system came together under pressure, worked through difficult issues, and found a path forward together. That matters.”
VanderLinden praised representatives from governments, industry, and civil society for what he described as a constructive and collaborative week of discussions under India’s chairmanship.
“The Kimberley Process showed this week that when the integrity of this system is at stake, people are willing to step forward, work through differences and find solutions together,” he said.
VanderLinden highlighted the work undertaken to address a serious funding challenge facing the KP Secretariat, praising World Diamond Council Honorary President Feriel Zerouki and participants across the Kimberley Process for helping secure a path forward.
“This is the Kimberley Process in action,” VanderLinden said. “Industry, governments, and civil society working together to beat back challenges, write new policy, and make us stronger together.”
The WDC President also renewed calls for continued progress on reforming the Kimberley Process definition of conflict diamonds.
“We have proven this week that we can move at the speed of necessity,” he said. “Now, let us find the same courage and the same energy to update the very purpose of this body to make sure the definition of conflict reflects the reality of our times.”
VanderLinden praised India’s leadership of the meeting, saying the Chair’s “3Cs” vision of Confidence, Credibility, and Compliance had helped shape the tone and direction of discussions throughout the week.
“The future of natural diamonds depends not only on what we produce, or what we trade, but on whether the world continues to believe in what natural diamonds represent,” VanderLinden said. “Let us leave Mumbai and continue our work together.”
The Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting brought together representatives of governments, industry, and civil society from around the world to discuss issues relating to the international trade in natural diamonds and the future direction of the Kimberley Process.
CONTACT
For media inquiries, please contact:
James Doran
james@worlddiamondcouncil.org
About the World Diamond Council
The World Diamond Council (WDC) is an industry organization focused on preventing conflict diamonds from entering the global supply chain and preserving the value of natural diamonds. Formed in 2000, it is the only organization that represents the diamond trade in full, from producer to retailer. It includes the most influential commercial businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and individual companies in the industry today. The WDC is the voice of the international diamond industry in a tripartite collaboration with governments and civil society known as the Kimberley Process (KP). The KP secures and manages monitoring processes that have virtually eliminated the trade in conflict diamonds, ensuring that the world’s supply of diamonds comes from sources free of conflict. Visit www.worlddiamondcouncil.org to learn more.
