De Beers’ GemFair has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Mano River Union (MRU) to enhance practices the artisanal and small-scale diamond mining (ASM) standards in West Africa.
The three parties will jointly deliver a regional training programme in the MRU member countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast that seeks to enhance capacities, promote knowledge sharing and build a comprehensive understanding of mine site health and safety.
It will also boost environmental management, ethical sourcing standards and diamond valuation among participants, who will include miners, government officials and civil society activists in the four countries.
“GemFair is committed to helping advance the ASM sector and one of the critical first steps is to enhance capacities to raise standards across the sector,” said Feriel Zerouki, senior vice-president international relations and ethical initiatives, De Beers and general manager, GemFair.
“We are pleased to be partnering with GIZ and MRU on this ambitious training programme and look forward to sharing our knowledge and providing our training expertise in the areas of ethical mining practices, responsible sourcing and diamond valuation to more stakeholders in the West Africa region.”
MRU secretary general Medina Wesseh said the regional approach to the Kimberley Process, artisanal and small-scale mining and the fight against precious mineral smuggling in the MRU sub-region is producing important positive results on the management of the artisanal mining sector, for the benefit of the four MRU member states.
“The sub-region’s artisanal mining sector, if effectively managed, can be a growth engine as it is an important niche to improve state revenues, enhance development of communities, and therefore reduce poverty at the grassroots level,” said Wesseh.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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