World Diamond Council (WDC) president Edward Asscher has expressed the WDC’s strong support for an agreement announced on July 8, for collaboration in the development and delivery of a training programme that promotes safe and responsible operating standards. The standards apply to the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors (ASM) in the Mano River Union- (MRU-) member countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.