The Kimberley Process (KP), chaired by Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of DMCC, inaugurated a new Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana on 9th October. The Secretariat, the first of its kind for the KP, will be staffed by up to five people in its initial year. It will serve as a hub for institutional memory, continuity, and support for the KP’s working groups and member countries. The office will be led by Bojun Tang.
The inauguration ceremony was led by KP Chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem and Botswana’s Honourable Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr Lefoko Moagi, following a courtesy visit to Botswana’s president, HE Dr. Mokgweeti E.K Masisi, during which the country’s firm commitment to the KP was reaffirmed. Attendees of the ceremony included officials from the Government of Botswana, key industry participants, and representatives from Angola, China, the EU, Russia, Ukraine, the UAE, the UK, and more.
Bin Sulayem commented: “The opening of the KP Secretariat marks a historic day for the future of the diamond trade and the Kimberley Process—a true milestone in our commitment to ensure this is a year of delivery for the diamond industry. The new office will serve as a backbone to the Kimberley Process, driving unity and helping ensure diamonds continue to be a positive force for African development, bringing real benefits to communities and economies alike. As KP Chair, I want to sincerely thank the Government of Botswana for its hospitality, generosity, and unwavering dedication in making this vision a reality.”
The KP, with its 59 nodes of diamond control offices worldwide, is the only mechanism that safeguards the legitimate diamond trade. The new Secretariat will play a crucial role in supporting the KP’s mission to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market.