An international team of “blood diamond” experts is now in Guyana at the invitation of the Government conducting a peer review of the local diamond mining sub- sector with the aim of building confidence that diamonds which are being sold to fuel conflicts in other parts of the world, are not being exported from Guyana.The visitors are Mr. James Lombe of the World Diamond Council (WDC) , Mr. Louis Perron of the Government of Canada and Mr. Paul Roberto Alves of Brazil.
They are here for one week and their program includes meetings with regulators and stakeholders in the diamond mining sub-sector such as the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) , Diamond Exporters and other agencies such as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Bank of Guyana.
They will review the processes by which diamonds exported from Guyana are certified with a view to strengthening the measures stipulated by the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which seeks to ensure that diamonds that may be destined for sale for fuelling conflicts do not enter the world market.
Guyana is a signatory to the KPCS and as such is committed to ensuring that any diamond originating from the country does not finance a rebel group or other entity seeking to overthrow a UN-recognized government.
The KPCS stipulates in part that every diamond export must be accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate and no diamond is to be imported from, or exported to, a non-member of the scheme.
The process restricts diamond revenues to government-approved sources.
Members of the visiting team met with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Robert Persaud , Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission(GGMC) Mr. Rickford Vieira , President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) Mr. Patrick Harding, and other stakeholders of the sector accompanied by Mr. Frisco McDonald of the US Embassy of Georgetown .
Minister Persaud told the visitors that diamond production is increasing steadily amid an ongoing thrust for clean and responsible mining.
Diamond output for the period January – August 2014 had increased by 23.14 percent, compared to production for the same period for 2013.
He said that he saw the peer review for the diamond mining sub- sector as timely and anticipated that it will certainly allow Guyana to be more compliant in the trade of diamonds.
Mr. Louis Perron of the Government of Canada told the meeting that Guyana has been receiving positive ratings on its adherence to the KPCS.
He said that during the peer review the team will engage miners in the field and show them how they can contribute to worldwide best practices in the International Diamond Trade
He said: “This review will strengthen the current KPCS safeguards that Guyana already has in place.”.
The KPCS has 54 participants, representing 81 countries, with the European Union and its Member States counting as a single participant.
KPCS members account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds.
Peer reviews are undertaken at the invitation of the signatory country.
Minister Persaud disclosed that the last peer review of Guyana’s role in support of the KPCS was done in 2004 and the local system was considered one of the most robust processes supporting the scheme.