The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi has called for urgent action to address the evolving nature of conflict in the global diamond trade.
Representing the Republic of Ghana at the ongoing Kimberley Process Ministerial Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), Mr. Sammy Gyamfi delivered a speech highlighting the pressing need for the Kimberley Process (KP) to adapt and strengthen its relevance in the face of emerging challenges.
“The nature of conflict has evolved. Conflict is no longer confined to rebel armies in the bush. Today, diamond communities may not hear gunfire, but they feel the violence of exploitation, dispossession and exclusion.”
Mr. Sammy Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi’s remarks underscored the evolving landscape of the diamond trade, where the moral cost of inaction continues to rise.
The CEO further added that “While we debate, the world changes. The landscape of the diamond trade is fast-shifting and the moral cost of inaction continues to rise. Many diamond communities still live with the scars of conflict, exploitation and exclusion. This cannot be the legacy of the Kimberley Process“.
Global Diamond Conflict
The diamond conflict conferences, is a crucial meetings of the Kimberley Process (KP), the international body responsible for stopping the trade in “conflict diamonds“.
Under the UAE’s leadership and its “Year of Best Practice” initiative, these conferences over years, intended at modernizing the KP and strengthen global diamond governance.
The conference’s Key issues include efforts to expand the narrow definition of conflict diamonds to cover human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence, improving transparency through potential digital certification, and lifting the decade-old export embargo on the Central African Republic (CAR).
These meetings gathered 86 governments, industry representatives from the World Diamond Council, and non-profit groups to address modern challenges in the diamond trade and ensure consumer trust within global diamond industry.
The Dubai conferences is viewed as a critical move in the Kimberley Process, which pushes for renewal and relevance in the face of ongoing geopolitical challenges.
Despite progress on governance and traceability, the meetings underscored significant political divisions.
A key point of contention is the blocking of discussions related to diamonds funding the war in Ukraine, revealing the limitations of the KP’s consensus-based decision-making.
Civil society organisations continue to advocate for the KP to adopt a broader definition that addresses social injustices across the supply chain, emphasising the need for the process to adapt to maintain its credibility and a conflict-free global diamond trade.
Incremental Reform and Consensus
The Gold Board CEO acknowledged the legitimacy of the diverse concerns and perspectives expressed by the Kimberley Process participants, recognizing the shared desire to respond to the changing realities.
However, he urged the delegates to prioritize progress over perfection, emphasizing the need for decisive action.
According to him, consensus is at the heart of the Kimberley Process and must be a path to progress and not a recipe for paralysis.
He admonished that while the stakeholders may not find a perfect text that satisfies every delegation on every point. What they can and must do however, “is to take steps – however modest, to strengthen the credibility, relevance and moral authority of this Process.”
Ghana’s Commitment
As a leading producer and exporter of most precious global-demanding minerals, Ghana has a vested interest in the success of the Kimberley Process.
The GoldBod’s speech reflects the country’s unwavering commitment to the initiative, pledging Ghana’s readiness to work alongside other participants to find solutions that protect vulnerable populations and safeguard legitimate trade.
“Ghana believes in consensus and urges all participants to focus on areas of convergence, listen carefully to one another, and pursue solutions that protect vulnerable populations, while safeguarding legitimate trade. Let us not allow the quest for perfection to become the enemy of meaningful incremental reform. Let history record that this meeting chose renewal over stagnation and cooperation over narrow interest.”
Mr. Sammy Gyamfi
Gyamfi’s impassioned address resonated with the delegates, highlighting the urgent need for the Kimberley Process to adapt and lead the global effort to address the evolving challenges in the diamond trade.
By emphasizing the importance of consensus-building, incremental reform, and a focus on protecting vulnerable communities, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi positioned Ghana as a steadfast partner in the fight against the scourge of “diamond conflict.”
While the Kimberley Process Ministerial Meeting continues to deliberate on the way forward, the mining and extractive industry eagerly awaits the outcome, hopeful that this gathering will mark a turning point in the global effort to ensure that diamonds become a source of prosperity, not conflict, for all.
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