2016 KP Intersessional Meetings kick off at the Atlantis

The 2016 Kimberley Process Intersessional Meetings unfolded on 24th May, with a grand opening and His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, and Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Kimberley Process Chair, welcoming over 200 delegates to Dubai. The UAE has this year been selected as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process.

The Meetings are taking place at the Atlantis, The Palm and will continue until May 26th.

In a welcome address His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, appreciated the Kimberley Process and added, “In the UAE, our doors are always open to friends and partners from every corner of the globe, from every walk of life, as we strive to reach a common goal together.”

In his opening remarks, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, KP Chair, identified two tasks at hand, that of “addressing the true challenges of today to strengthen the KP and to set a path ensuring the Kimberley Process will meet the challenges of the future.” He added, “We have a responsibility to the entire diamond supply chain and its stakeholders to approach the most challenging questions and through consensus, power forward important, much needed change.”

The KP Chair also shared views about the future of the Kimberly Process as a tri-party initiative represented by government, industry and civil society, urging a broader group of fellow international and credible NGOs to join the Kimberley Process to be a part of the future of the diamond industry. Reflecting on the progress made in the first six months as KP Chair, Mr Bin Sulayem highlighted the work with Central African Republic which have resulted in its sous-prefecture of Berberati recently being declared a compliant zone; and its progress following a visit to Venezuela earlier this year to assist the country in being re-admitted to full KP membership.

UAE KP Chair hosted a one-day ‘KP Chair Special Forum’ on rough diamond valuation, as a precursor to the Kimberley Process Intersessional meetings on 23 May. The forum covered topics on rough diamond valuation challenges as well as the OECD’s work on enhancing the private sector contribution to responsible mineral supply chains and support to developing countries in raising revenue from executive industries.

“Rough Diamond Valuation is a challenge that is not limited to one country, one diamond centre, or the Kimberley Process – it is a critical challenge for the entire diamond industry. In particular, it is a top priority for the diamond exporting countries in Africa, which are looking to get the best value from their mineral resource wealth.” Ahmed Bin Sulayem, KP Chair, said.

The forum was joined by industry leaders from across the diamond industry, including large mining corporations, mining experts and senior advisors from KP Working Groups. OECD, who have developed the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict & High Risk Areas, also joined the special forum as an industry specialist and observer. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, KP Chair, added: “The OECD is an institution with un-paralleled global experience related to valuation common approaches and supply chain due diligence, and the Kimberley Process can benefit greatly from leveraging their knowledge. As KP Chair, it is my goal that we begin taking the first concrete steps in tackling essential items such as enhanced data collection, financial transparency, cross-border trade and supply chain traceability for the benefit of our industry."