New York: Meeting in video-conference on June 16, 2022, the Board of Directors of the World Diamond Council (WDC) has decided that, in light of the unusual set of circumstances currently prevalent, including those precipitated by the COVID pandemic, the terms of President Edward Asscher, Vice President Feriel Zerouki and Treasurer Ronnie VanderLinden, which were scheduled to terminate this year, will continue into 2023.

According to WDC Bylaws, the President serves one term of two years, after which he or she is automatically succeeded by the serving Vice President. Mr. Asscher, who currently is in the second year of a two-year term as President, was scheduled to hand over to Ms. Zerouki, and the Board of Directors would have elected from among its members the next Vice President.

With the Kimberley Process suspending regular activities in 2020 because of COVID, meaning that the term of the current WDC leadership coincided with the term in office of one rather two KP Chairs, the WDC Board of Directors agreed that in the present situation it was appropriate to suspend the scheduled transition and election of new officers on an extraordinary basis until June 2023. This means that Mr. Asscher, Ms. Zerouki and Mr. VanderLinden will continue in their current positions uninterrupted through to next year.