JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The strengthening of the Kimberley Process certification scheme (KPCS) stood atop the agenda of the delegation of the World Diamond Council (WDC), which joined representatives from 50 governments and several nongovernment organisations at the four-day KP plenary meeting, which concluded in Guangzhou, China, on Friday.

Highlighted at the meeting was the Administration Support Mechanism (ASM), which was managed and financed on behalf of the Kimberley Process (KP) by WDC member organisations.

Launched in 2013 and renewed for a second year of operation at the KP intercessional meeting, in Beijing, earlier this year, the ASM provided assistance to the KPCS.

Following a proposal by the WDC, it would now provide educational and training tools for all KP participants.

The WDC said in a statement on Monday that a critical component of the KP plenary were the meetings of the official working groups, including the Working Group on Monitoring; the Working Group of Diamond Experts; the Working Group on Statistics; the Working Group on Artisanal and Alluvial Production; the Committee on Participation and Chairmanship; and the Committee on Rules and Procedures.

At the initiative of the WDC, the KP plenary welcomed a proposal by several working groups to consider relevant recommendations from a Financial Action Task Force report that related to risks associated with the supply of rough diamonds. 

It was agreed that the Working Group on Monitoring and the Working Group of Diamond Experts would assess those recommendations in the context of their ongoing efforts to improve the KPCS and its implementation.

“The WDC supported the reaffirmation of the Working Group on Monitoring of its commitment to continue the dialogue on the definition of conflict diamonds, in accordance with the decision taken at the KP plenary meeting, in Johannesburg, in November 2013,” the committee noted.

It further applauded a decision by the Working Group of Diamond Experts, which, at the initiative of the WDC, created a subcommittee that would address the valuation of rough diamonds throughout the supply chain.

Also discussed at the meeting of the Working Group of Diamond Experts was a survey of how KP member countries handled confiscated rough diamonds; the KP "roadmap" for the Central African Republic, which was designed to enable that country to become KP compliant; and the creation of a digital photo database, besides other items.

Although the required consensus was not achieved in Guangzhou on which of the two candidate countries, Australia or the United Arab Emirates, would become vice-chair of the KP in 2015, the WDC pledged openly to support any consensus decision that was made in this respect, and offered its support to the incoming KP chair, Angola.

“On behalf of the WDC and the entire industry, I would like to congratulate Wei Chuangzhong and the People's Republic of China on this year's successful chairing of the KP. We look forward to continuing to strengthen the mission of the KP under the strong leadership of Angola in 2015,” commented WDC president Edward Asscher.

The WDC also stressed the importance of reinforcing the three pillars that support the KP, namely government, civil society and the diamond and jewellery industry.