INDIA, AS the KP Chair for 2019, successfully hosted the KP Intersessional Meeting in Mumbai from 17 to 21 June 2019. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) Intersessional Meeting is an annual mid-year event of KPCS, a tripartite mechanism that unites participating governments, diamond industry and civil society. KPCS is an international mechanism mandated by the UN to reduce the flow of conflict diamonds, which were being used to finance wars against legitimate governments.
Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi, KP Chair and Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), addressed over 200 KP delegates from 37 countries, including producing, trading and consuming countries like China, Australia, the USA, Russia, those from the EU, etc. The African continent was represented by delegates from Sierra Leone, DR Congo, Angola, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Botswana, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Namibia, South Africa, Togo and Lesotho. The Kimberley Process Chairmanship 2019 India event was organized by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and co-organized by the GJEPC.
Stephane Fischler (President, World Diamond Council) and Shamiso Mtisi (Coordinator of the KP Civil Society Coalition) also addressed the closing session. Rupa Dutta, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, proposed the vote of thanks.
The KP Intersessional Session 2019 observed progress in many areas, including discussions on the scope, Terms of Reference for Permanent Secretariat, draft Administrative Decision (AD) on Peer Review Mechanism, Reconciliation guidance document, more clear directions for MDF and Consolidation of Core Document.
The highlights of this Intersessional were the special forums on Diamond Terminology
and ‘Artisanal Mining – Small Steps to Larger Outcomes’. The GemFair session showcased
transparency to empower local communities. There were presentations on the government’s Common Facility Centres initiative, which enabled pooling of resources for small and medium jewellery enterprises in India. There were insightful learnings in the special forums such as the chain of custody by Mumbai’s dabbawalas and trusted delivery as exemplified by the angadias. There were presentations on the mapping of the
workforce through Parichay ID card and taking care of them through Swasthya Ratna health insurance scheme.
– Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi,
KP Chair and Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)