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Alexey Moiseev, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister and Chair of the Kimberley Process.

AFTER YEAR OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE, KIMBERLEY PROCESS RETURNS TO BUSINESS, ALMOST AS USUAL

 

2020 was a limbo year for the Kimberley Process, the international forum bringing together representatives of governments, industry and civil society to manage the campaign against conflict diamonds, which it does via the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Toward the end of the first quarter, as an increasing number of countries entered strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, a decision was made by the KP to suspend work as usual, and to do only that which was necessary to enable implementation of the KPCS.

It also resulted in a suspension of the regular handover of executive authority within the KP. Not strictly an organization, but rather an international group of participants dedicated to a specific purpose, the management of the KP is a handled and mainly financed on any given year by the government of one of its member states, which is the KP Chair. A year earlier, that same government had been elected KP Vice Chair, and protocol dictates that it automatically assumes the office of the KP Chair at the start of the following calendar year, for a period of 12 months.

That was the way things worked prior to 2020, but with the suspension of most activities early in the year, it also was decided that the serving chair, the Russian Federation, would take over office properly at the start of 2021, meaning the Vice Chair, Botswana, would only take over at the beginning of 2022.

On a regular year, the full membership of KP meets twice a year – at an Intersessional Meeting, which typically is in May or June, and at the KP Plenary, usually in November or December. But that did not occur in 2020.

Between June 21 and June 25, 2021, the KP Intersessional is being held. Originally planned for Moscow last year, it will for the time take place in a virtual setting, with delegates participating from the comfort of their homes or offices. Russia, however, is still the host.

COVID’S MINIMAL IMPACT ON CERTICATION SCHEME

In an interview published in the newsletter of the World Diamond Council (WDC), the body representing the diamond industry in the Kimberley Process, Alexey Moiseev, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister who currently hold the title of KP Chair, discussed the impact that the COVID crisis has had in the diamond producing areas, and as a consequence on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

“Shutdowns of operations and the dramatic decline in the international rough diamond trade hit the mining communities the most, and especially those engaged in the artisanal small-scale production (ASM) sector,” he said. “Larger mining companies managed to show resilience and implement costly measures to ensure that their employees and the communities around them receive the needed health support and protection to overcome the pandemic. 

 

A sample of a Kimberley Process Certificate issued by the European Union.

As we all understand, that was not always the case in the ASM sector in the most vulnerable regions of the world, consequently leading to the creation of additional risks to their stability and capacity to ensure the smooth implementation of the KPCS.”

“Nonetheless, we see that in most cases the local governments did manage to keep the situation under control, although from a socio-economic point of view it was a very challenging exercise, with the pandemic seriously impacting the livelihoods of many people,” he added. “Still, the efforts taken have enabled the countries to ensure that the situation in the vulnerable mining communities stopped short of new conflict crises, enabling the KPCS to be continuously implemented.”

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF RESPONSIBLE SOURCING

Looking to the rest of the year, the KP Chair referred to Russia’ goal of full digitalizing the of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which he said would be a complicated given the different legal situation in the 82 member countries, and security requirements. Progress in this area would begin bilaterally, on a country-by-country basis.

He also discussed the KP reaching agreement on what are being proposed as seven principles of responsible sourcing. These include complying with internationally accepted standards relating to (1) human rights, (2) labor rights, (3) environmental practices, (4) anti-corruption and (5) anti-money laundering, and (6) building capacity by supporting the development of communities in the mining and production areas and (7) through clear disclosure properly distinguishing between natural and synthetic diamonds.

He said that he hoped the KP will move forward with reaching a consensus on the broadening of the definition of “conflict diamonds” beyond only rough diamonds directly associated with the financing of civil war. This is an issue that has long been on the KP’s agenda.

“We would be happy to see the KP family expanding as a result of our work in 2021 and new participants joining us, with the ambition to contribute to the further development of the global conflict-free rough diamond trade,” Moiseev said.

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