Rough diamond exports from Côte d’Ivoire to resume

The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council has informed that the sanctions on rough diamond exports from "Cote d'lvoire (lvory coast)" has been lifted. The sanction, as per the information received from the KP Chair, China, has been lifted with immediate effect, resulting in rough diamond trade from Côte d’Ivoire resuming.

The KP Chair informed that, United Nations Security Council has issued the Resolution No.2153(2014), dated 29th April, in which a decision is taken to terminate (as of the date of adoption of the resolution), the measures preventing import of all rough diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire to all States.

UN Security Council banned diamond exports and laid other regulations following Ivory Coast’s civil war in 2002-2003 and later chose to continue these regulations and embargo until end-April 2014 after the second civil war in 2011. In 2013, the UN Security Council agreed to review the ban based on Ivory Coast’s progress in complying with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). In the November plenary in Johannesburg, the KPCS recognized Ivory Coast to having fulfilled the KPCS minimum requirements ‘as possibly could be achieved under the UN embargo,’ reports say. Ivory Coast, seeking a lift on the ban of its diamond exports, planned to appeal to the United Nations in April this year, when its Mining Ministry was to visit New York.

The KP Chair noted that, Since the embargo on Côte d’Ivoire’s rough diamond trade with KP participants was set out basing on UNSC Resolution 1643(2005) and its subsequent Resolutions, the embargo shall be lifted in accordance with the Resolution of UNSC accordingly. Also, the KP Chair has requested Administrative Support mechanisms to update the relevant description on the UNSC’s sanction on Côte d’Ivoire at the KP website, that Côte d’Ivoire KP Authority to invite and WGM to organise a review visit nine months after legal exports of rough diamonds have resumed accordingly and all participants to take action to resume the rough diamond trade with Côte d’Ivoire.