DE BEERS will open its first �non-commercial� office in New York, to be headed by Rosalind Kainyah, the executive director of corporate communications of its London-based marketing arm, the Diamond Trading Company (DTC).

The new office will focus on informing civil society and academia, as well as the US government of its social investment programs in Africa, most notably its efforts to counter HIV/AIDS, the company stated.

DTC spokesperson Lynette Hori also noted that the Ghana-born Kainyah had a unique insight into the economic and social impact of doing business in Africa, given her background in international law and corporate communications.