Press Release: In 2003, the UN imposed sanctions on Cote d'Ivoire, forbidding the country to trade diamonds. Now that political calm has returned, Belgium’s FPS Foreign Affairs and the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) are helping the government set up a monitoring system so that they will be able to adhere to the strict conditions of the Kimberley Process and resume their diamond trade.
The AWDC trained three Ivorian senior officials to become diamond experts. The eight-week training was funded by the FPS Foreign Affairs and aimed to provide the Ivorians with the necessary knowledge to estimate the value of a diamond. It also taught them everything about the stringent regulations of the Kimberley Process and how that knowledge can be applied to everyday practice.
The sanctions were put in place because the risk of conflict diamonds entering the regular pipeline would have been too great otherwise, according to Margaux Donckier, the spokeswoman for the AWDC.
Now that the Cote d'Ivoire's political situation has stabilized and its economy is recovering, diamond production is back in the picture. But in order to actually start trading again, the government must follow stringent requirements of the Kimberley Process and establish a control panel.
Donckier said, "As Belgium has been one of the driving forces behind the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme since the very beginning, Cote d'Ivoire has appealed to us to help them set up a supervisory body." The FPS Foreign Affairs and the AWDC are glad to help by providing knowledge and expertise. The FPS Foreign Affairs believes that with the development of Cote d'Ivoire, Belgium’s position as a major diamond trading hub and the diamond trade in general will all benefit from a fair diamond trade.
Experts believe the Cote d'Ivoire has the potential to produce between 150,000 to 200,000 carats of rough diamonds annually in the years ahead, representing a value of $25 million. Cote d'Ivoire will launch its new control panel on January 1. The UN will follow developments closely and will publish an assessment report every six months. In addition, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme’s own control panel will be visiting the country to see if all conditions are being met, and to formulate recommendations if necessary.
About the Antwerp World Diamond Centre
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is the coordinating body and the official representative of the Antwerp diamond sector. AWDC promotes the entire diamond industry at home and abroad and is internationally recognized as the host, spokesperson and intermediary for the entire Belgian diamond community. Eighty-four percent of all rough diamonds and 50 percent of all polished diamonds pass through Antwerp. Diamonds represent 5 percent of the total Belgian exports and 15 percent of all Belgian exports outside the E.U., making diamonds the most important export product outside the E.U.
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