Belgium’s FPS Foreign Affairs and the Antwerp World Diamond Centre are helping the government of the Ivory Coast set up a monitoring system so that the diamond trade of that country is able to “adhere to the strict conditions of the Kimberley Process, and resume their diamond trade” a note from Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC ) stated.

"In 2003, the UN imposed sanctions on Ivory Coast, forcing the country to stop trading diamonds. The sanctions were put in place because the risk of conflict diamonds entering the regular circuit would have been too great otherwise,” said Margaux Donckier, spokeswoman for the AWDC.

Now that the Ivory Coast’s political situation has stabilised and its economy is recovering, diamond production has restarted. But in order to actually start trading again, Ivory Coast must meet the stringent requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and the Ivorian government must establish a control panel.

In order to facilitate the return to trading, the AWDC has trained three senior officials from the Ivory Coast to become diamond experts. “The eight-week training was funded by the FPS Foreign Affairs and aimed to provide the Ivorians with the necessary knowledge to estimate the value of a diamond. It also taught them everything about the stringent regulations of the Kimberley Process, and how that knowledge can be applied to everyday practice,” AWDC said.

Donckier added, "As Belgium has been one of the driving forces behind the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme since the very beginning, Ivory Coast has appealed to us to help them set up a supervisory body."

Experts say Ivory Coast has the potential to produce 150,000 to 200,000 carats of rough diamonds annually in the years ahead, representing a value of $25 million, AWDC said.

The Ivory Coast will launch its new control panel on 1 January, the AWDC commented, adding that the UN will follow developments closely and will publish an assessment report every six months. In addition, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme’s own control panel will be visiting Ivory Coast to see if all conditions are being met, and to formulate recommendations if necessary. 

Pic Cap: Ivory Coast officials undergoing training