On 23 May 2014, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Kimberley Process Administrative Support Mechanism (ASM) was renewed by Wei Chuanzhong, chair of the Kimberley Process (KP) and Edward Asscher, newly elected president of the World Diamond Council (WDC) in the presence of Stéphane Fischler, president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and Ari Epstein, AWDC’s CEO in Antwerp.
Managed by the four WDC members including AWDC, the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI), the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and the Ghana Government Diamond House, the ASM was designed to increase the efficiency of the KP and assist the rotating KP chairperson. The recent renewal of the MoU reflects the KP Plenary’s and the chair’s continued confidence in the ASM.
Edward Asscher expressed: “The signing of this document underscores the absolute commitment that the diamond and jewellery industry has to the KP, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and the principle that no diamond should be associated with conflict or violence……I thank the KP chair for showing confidence in our ability to carry out our duties faithfully and efficiently, and trust that we will continue doing so for years to come. It is our duty to guarantee the integrity of our product and maintain the confidence that consumers have in diamonds.”
Relevant topics including the need for an equal level playing field, ensuring compliance to the KP requirement is enforced on a global scale were also discussed in the signing ceremony.
AWDC expressed in its press statement that the KP is a highly effective mechanism in assisting countries in meeting minimum requirements and in creating opportunities for diamond countries to reap the benefits from their natural resources. The representative organization of the Antwerp diamond industry therefore requested the chair to actively support the development dimension of the KP, for example by developing or supporting technical assistance projects.
← Back