Industry Leaders Encourage Reform at KP

RAPAPORT... World Diamond Council (WDC) president Stephane Fischlerurged Kimberley Process (KP) member governments to reach an agreement on trade-reform issues, including expanding thedefinition of a conflict diamond. "We are relying on each of you, during this final year of the review and reform process, to show the consumers of diamonds that the Kimberley Process can unite around a program that will ensure better care and protection of your brothers and sisters," Fischler stressed during the opening session of the KP intersessional meeting In India, which runs from June 17 to 21.  Fischler outlined five items the KP needs to address at the meeting, before the organization's three-year review and reform process ends in December. Aside from the expansion of the conflict-diamond definition, he pressed KP members to create a simplified and moreconsistent core document, strengthen the organization's peer-review mechanism and establish a permanentsecretariat. Member governments should also vote to initiate a multi-donor fund that will ensure all participants are capable of being fully active within the KP. The WDC, which represents the trade at the KP, stressed theimportance of implementing these changes before the end of the review term. While the WDC and civil-society groups take part in the KPmeetings, they cannot submit agendas, or vote. Participating member governmentsneed to reach a consensus on any proposals for them to go into effect. KP chair Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi, of India, supported the needfor building a consensus that will strengthen the KP, and the elementsnecessary for reform. "Raising the level of representation and participationand improving the gathering and flow of essential data," were also among theKP's goals, he added. Image: Stephane Fischler addressing the opening session of the 2019 KP intersessional meeting in Mumbai. (World Diamond Council)