JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab country to take up the position of Kimberley Process (KP) vice-chair, assuming the duty in 2016.
The Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC) and the UAE Economic Ministry’s authority for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, welcomed the appointment, confirmed by a vote.
“We are honoured to have been formally selected. As chair, we plan to bring our wealth of experience to the KP, having been a member since 2003, and we look forward to working with related government and industry groups to further enhance and develop the KP through existing and new initiatives,” DMCC executive chairperson Ahmed Bin Sulayem said.
The UAE would use this opportunity to focus on areas that would have the greatest impact on the growth and development of the diamond industry.
This included growing the reach of the KP and bringing to an end the flow of conflict diamonds globally; while strengthening the ties between the three pillars of the KP (government, industry and civil society) through active engagement and collaboration. The UAE would also emphasise providing assistance to newly admitted countries and those that aspired to join the KP with technical assistance, training and consensus building through seminars and conferences.
The UAE would host KP participants for intercessional and plenary meetings taking place in Dubai in 2016, providing an opportunity for all KP participants to get first-hand experience of the country’s infrastructure and trading community which have supported its growth in the industry.