![]() ![]() The credibility of the scheme is at stake, now more than ever. The cry for reform is not the KP CSC’s cry only, it is called for by the communities that we work with on a daily basis. The KP civil society coalition is accountable to the communities that are living the realities of diamond mining. Ladies and gentlemen, we call for the suspension of the evaluation of this application until Rwanda’s motives and actions on the ground in the DRC and CAR are clarified. We also see a rush to membership from Rwanda, a country which according to several UN reports is fuelling aggression against a Kimberley Process member, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), through its support for an armed group. Instead, we see applications for future chairmanship coming in from participants, Belarus and the United Arab Emirates. We don’t even discuss how mercenaries from this same country are undermining peace and efforts to stop the trade in conflict diamonds in the Central African Republic. The KP does not allow discussions on how the world’s biggest diamond producing country, Russia, uses diamond revenue to finance a cruel war against Ukraine, a fellow KP member. For instance, the Patising community in Lesotho near the Letseng Diamond mine. The fate of the Jagersfontein community in South Africa, where burst tailings dams flooded and displaced communities awaits many other diamond mining communities worldwide, particularly in Africa where most of the rough diamonds are produced. This has resulted in perennial complaints from communities as witnessed by the diamond mining affected communities in Lesotho, marginalised affected property owners of Koidu in Sierra Leone and communities living along Tshikapa and Kasai Rivers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The KP does not look into how irresponsibly-managed diamond are destroying lives, livelihoods and the environment. ![]() Most mining communities in Latin America, Africa and the Ukrainian people are counting loss of lives, environmental damage and human rights violations caused by diamond mines or by states whose budgets are largely based on revenues from diamond production and trade. We fail to discuss the problems that concern us all, or to expose the obstructive forces in this room that hold this entire process in their grip. The KP has dragged from one failed reform cycle to another. On behalf of the Coalition, I also want to thank the organisers of the exciting Summit in which we participated yesterday, which brought together excellent personalities, opinion leaders and experts from around the world.ĭistinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,Īs we reflect on the decade of the KP’s existence, we are taken aback by the continuous crisis mode of the certification scheme. KP Chair, all Coalition members and I are extremely grateful for what you and your team did to get me healthy again. Thank you for hosting our delegation in Gaborone. ![]() It is a privilege and a great honour for me to address you again as the Coordinator of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KPCSC).įirst of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks from those of the Civil Society Coalition delegation to the Government of Botswana, especially to the organisers of this plenary meeting.
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