The Board of Directors is selected directly from members of the diamond community, ensuring the functioning of AWDC and determining the policies to achieve the association's objectives.
Antwerp World Diamond Centre
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is the industry organization of the Belgian diamond industry and represents approximately 1,400 Belgian registered diamond companies.
The industry organization was established in 1973, initially under the name Hoge Raad voor Diamant (High Council for Diamonds). In 2007, the organization split into two separate entities: AWDC and HRD. Since then, AWDC has represented the Belgian diamond industry both nationally and internationally, offering a wide range of services to its diamond traders.
AWDC is a public-private institution and, together with the FPS Economy and FPS Finance (Customs), is responsible for the import and export of diamonds through the Diamond Office. The triple control system ensures that the Belgian diamond sector is the best and most thoroughly regulated in the world.
Belgium is home to approximately 1,400 diamond companies, collectively employing around 3,300 people. At AWDC, our role is to be a dedicated advocate and dependable service provider for these businesses. We actively represent, protect, and promote Antwerp’s diamond industry both domestically and internationally and it is our mission to ensure Antwerp remains at the forefront of the global diamond industry. Additionally, through Diamond Office, the sole customs office in Belgium authorized for diamond declarations, we regulate and manage all diamond imports and exports, ensuring a secured, controlled and transparent trade within and beyond the EU.
Karen Rentmeesters
CEO , AWDC
Our core values
Our Mission
AWDC strengthens Antwerp's position as a world-leading diamond trading center, represents and promotes the Antwerp diamond industry in Belgium and abroad, and advocates for the interests of Belgian diamond companies with governments, financial institutions, and other strategic partners. We strive to create a business-friendly environment where diamond traders can thrive.
As a service provider, we support Belgian diamond companies by guiding them through the complex landscape of laws and regulations. Together with our partners, including the police and the City of Antwerp, we ensure a safe and vibrant diamond district.
Through the unique operations of Diamond Office and close collaboration with government bodies such as the FPS Economy and the FPS Finance (Customs), we ensure that Antwerp boasts the most controlled and transparent diamond industry in the world. AWDC remains committed to strengthening and further developing Antwerp as the global capital of diamonds.
Our Vision
The Belgian diamond industry must be able to operate in a safe environment and within a favorable entrepreneurial climate. We strive to build and maintain strong relationships with all our stakeholders, based on our core values. These relationships are essential in supporting our mission and ensuring we can always rely on them to navigate challenges and seize opportunities together.
Antwerp is recognized worldwide as the most reliable and transparent diamond trading center, and AWDC will continue to strive to defend and strengthen this esteemed status.
Our Values
Driven by Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards, ensuring that every decision reflects the integrity of the diamond industry. The same integrity that leads us as a sector organization, we are expecting from all the partners we collaborate with.
Committed to Transparency: We are committed to openness and clarity in our practices, the partnerships we have and our way of communicating. We aim to foster an environment of accountability and trust and actively want to show what happens behind the scenes of ‘the Antwerp diamond Industry’.
Grounded in Trustworthiness: We are dedicated to reliability and consistency, fostering long-term trust with our partners, clients, and communities worldwide.
Event
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what’s next
We regularly organize events (live or digital) to inform companies within our sector about important updates regarding legislation, best practices, and relevant topics. Our experts ensure that Belgian diamond companies remain well-informed and fully compliant with the latest regulations.