In a keynote address at the opening of the Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional meeting, Feriel Zerouki, President of the World Diamond Council (WDC), urged participants to focus on expanding the definition of conflict diamonds, while recognizing the vital role of industry efforts to strengthen and complement the KP framework.

“Expanding the definition of conflict diamonds is at the heart of our reform agenda,” Zerouki said. “There has never been a more important time to act. The real risk we face is not disagreement, but the way we are approaching our shared commitment. We must remember that the definition should remain a tool for collective progress, not a reflection of broader divides.”

Zerouki acknowledged the significant contributions made by the diamond industry to reinforce the KP’s mission. Industry has not waited. We have introduced ethical standards, traceability frameworks, public reporting, sustainability principles and blockchain-based traceability solutions, she stated All of these were created to strengthen the work of the KP. But there are limits to what industry can do. Only the KP member states have the legitimacy and reach to address the gaps that no single stakeholder can fill alone.

She called on participants to embrace compromise in the pursuit of progress. “Let us not make perfect the enemy of the good. What matters is what we can achieve in this review cycle. If we succeed, we lay the foundation for more progress in the next. We owe it to the past that brought us here, the present that challenges us, and the future that depends on us,” she said.

The Dubai Intersessional is the mid-year face-to-face meeting of the Kimberley Process, hosted by the United Arab Emirates as 2024 Chair of the KP. It convenes participants and observers including government representatives from 86 countries, industry leaders represented by the WDC, and NGOs represented by the Civil Society Coalition. Together, they review progress, address challenges and advance collective efforts to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate diamond supply chain.

The WDC acknowledges and thanks the UAE Ministry of Economy and KP Chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem for their leadership and generous hospitality.