The World Diamond Council (WDC) has backed the Mano River Union (MRU) which is pushing for an improved implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KP) in West Africa. The MRU project comprises of the governments of Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Guinea and they are being funded by the European Union as well as the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
WDC executive director Elodie Daguzan said the MRU efforts will assist artisanal diamond miners gain better access to the legitimate diamond supply chain, while receiving fair value for their work.
“Regional initiatives that are designed to enhance the implementation of the KPCS should focus on allowing these communities to optimize the benefits they receive from their hard work, and their countries realizing the full potential of their natural resources,” she said.
“These include preventing the smuggling of goods across borders, better transparency and enhanced methods for monitoring the extraction and movement of diamonds, and improvements in the capacity to properly evaluate mineral output.”
Image credit: World Diamond Council
Artisanal and small-scale miners account for about 15% of rough diamond production, according to WDC.
She said cooperative initiatives like the MRU’s regional programme creates synergies that enhance the value of natural diamonds from the perspectives of both the mining communities and jewellery consumers.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
