Press Release: EU to take over 2007 Chairmanship of Scheme to Combat Conflict Diamonds

The European Commission is to take over the reins of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to combat conflict diamonds, after a formal handover ceremony on 9 November 2006. The outgoing chair, Botswana, passed on the baton at the process’ annual Plenary, held in Gaborone between 6 and 9 November. At the Plenary progress was achieved on a number of crucial issues, of which the most import were the adoption of urgent measures to help participating counties strengthen their internal controls, and a number of recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process itself. The Kimberley Process is a unique initiative by government authorities, the international diamond industry and civil society to combat ‘conflict diamonds’ – rough diamonds used to finance warfare – after the experience of devastating conflicts in some diamond-producing countries in Africa.

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