Botswana joins Belgium as center for diamond certification

GABORONE, BOTSWANA — 

Botswana has been added arsenic a 2nd center, successful summation to Belgium, to verify the root of unsmooth diamonds meant for export to the Group of Seven starring industrialized countries, the nation’s presidency announced Thursday.

African producers had complained that making Belgium the sole verification halfway led to disruptions successful the planetary diamond proviso chain, arsenic the G7 moved to halt the travel of gems mined successful Russia.

A connection by the bureau of the president said Botswana was granted support to acceptable up a verification halfway pursuing “intensive” discussions with the G7 Diamond Technical Team.

The announcement comes arsenic President Duma Boko and Minister of Minerals Bogolo Kenewendo returned Thursday from a diamond league successful Brussels.

Kenewendo told authorities tv it is logical to assistance Botswana, the world’s second-largest shaper of diamonds, the close to certify unsmooth stones.

She said that Botswana has a way grounds successful verification and certification, unneurotic with different countries nether the Kimberley Process.

The Kimberley Process is simply a commercialized authorities that certifies unsmooth diamond exports entering the planetary market, but it has been criticized for failing to bash capable to support retired diamonds from struggle zones.

Diamond-producing countries specified arsenic Angola and Namibia should beryllium recognized verifiers due to the fact that they person prepared done the Kimberley Process, Kenewendo said.

To authorisation Russian diamonds, the G7, astatine the commencement of the year, projected that each stones destined for export to their subordinate countries beryllium routed done Antwerp, Belgium, to verify their origin.

African producers, led by Botswana, protested, saying the determination caused disruptions to the planetary proviso concatenation owed to delays and added costs.

Belgian-based diamond manufacture researcher Hans Merket said the summation of Botswana arsenic a verification halfway volition let much flexibility.

“Botswana appears to beryllium thing of a trial lawsuit with the G7 Diamond Technical Team already explicitly referencing Namibia and Angola arsenic imaginable aboriginal certification nodes,” Merket said.

“By diversifying the certification points, this attack could found a much balanced and inclusive model for the G7 certification strategy aligning much intimately with the planetary dynamics of the planetary proviso chain,” helium said.

“Moreover, it tin besides assistance pave the mode for stricter controls and higher ethical standards successful the diamond sector, peculiarly arsenic the Kimberley Process certification strategy faces expanding disapproval for its declining credibility and leniency,” Merket said.

Jaff Bamenjo, coordinator of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, said much African diamond producers should beryllium added arsenic verification centers due to the fact that the summation of lone Botswana volition not resoluteness proviso concatenation disruptions.

“African diamond producing countries are suffering from a occupation they did not create,” Bamenjo said.

Botswana’s export certification halfway is expected to beryllium operational aboriginal adjacent year.