GUYANA complies with the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) for the export of diamonds. Rough diamonds which do not accord with Guyana’s well–documented and researched mineralogy and characteristics and for which documentation is unsatisfactory, are not sanctioned and certified for export.
This was stressed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and its regulatory agency, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, in response to an article appearing in Time Magazine of August 20, 2012, under the headline: South America’s “Blood Diamonds”
The article charged that Venezuela and Guyana appear to be sources of the tainted gems (blood diamonds) – and their persistence may help doom the Kimberley Process of certifying the ethical origins of diamonds.
The KCPS was put in place to stem illicit trade in “conflict” or “blood” diamonds from African countries like Zimbabwe and Côte d’Ivoire, where a civil war is being financed in part by gem smuggling.
The article charged that Guyana was not a model of enforcement of the Kimberly Process.
In their joint response to the allegations in TIME Magazine, the ministry and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission stressed that Guyana became a part of the KPCS in 2003 and joined many other countries in this voluntary international initiative.
Guyana strengthened its already extant export of precious stones’ procedures, and thus enhanced its compliance with the requirements of the KPCS.
These regulations and procedures were further endorsed as KPCS compliant in a peer review conducted six years ago.
Guyana has remained faithful to the established process and internal procedures employed.
In addition, in 2010, Guyana’s KPCS system was recommended by the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) to other KPCS member countries as one of the best and most useful for consideration and emulation.
Representatives from Guyana met with representatives of several countries to share experiences and offer insight.
Guyana’s KPCS system, the Agencies said, is subjected to constant review in–house by GGMC, and as recently as May, GGMC met with exporters to discuss concerns and make adjustments where any may be possible or prudent.
The ministry and the GGMC said that it is recognized that there will be concerns raised from time to time with respect to possible cross – border movement of minerals (which may include rough diamonds), in particular among Guyana, Brazil and Venezuela.
It is also, however, important to bear in mind that smuggling must first be established and not be speculated on.
GGMC jurisdictionally deals with the movement of minerals from operation (source) to point of export, certifying rough diamonds for export without which certification such diamonds would not be accepted at the proposed destination.
This approach is consistent and exporters who have not been compliant have received appropriate sanctions, and some have since ceased to conduct business, with KPCS being informed through reporting requirements.
In due course and in the not distant future, Guyana will be requesting its second peer review and will expect to be accommodated as the KPCS schedule allows.
The joint statement stressed that Guyana has never shirked its responsibility with respect to the KPCS and will continue to honour its obligations.
The ministry and the GGMC have called on the TIME Magazine to publish their response with equal prominence to that given by the offending article of August 20, 2012.