Kimberley Process Review Committee to Meet in Dubai

Press Release: The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) announced that it will be hosting a meeting with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) Review Committee, also known as the CKR in Dubai on April 15 to 17.

Under the guidance of the former U.S. Kimberley Process Chair, Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, the CKR was started in February 2012 to “coordinate the periodic review of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, as provided by the Kimberley Process Core Document and the 2010 Plenary Administrative Decision on Efficiency.”

The UAE Kimberley Process Office has been a proactive member in this process of change and looks forward to welcoming a delegation from countries and organizations such as Angola, Botswana, Canada, the civil society coalition, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Union, India, Namibia, the Russian Federation, South Africa, U.S., the World Diamond Council and Zimbabwe.

The new Kimberley Process chair, Ambassador Welile Nhlapo from South Africa, will also attend the meeting.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of the DMCC said,  “We are pleased to host this important CKR meeting in Dubai. Dubai has become a major trading hub for rough diamonds in the last 10 years, and as part of our international responsibilities we are delighted to welcome delegates from across the globe to the Emirate. We wish them every success in their negotiations.’

The KPCS is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative that aims to stem the flow of conflict diamonds into the legitimate diamond trade. It was set up to assure consumers that the diamonds they are purchasing are conflict free, the KPCS was implemented in the UAE in 2003 by the Ministry of Economy, making the UAE the first Arab country to introduce this process, and the DMCC the only entry and exit point for rough diamonds in the country.