Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Kimberley Process in 2016, delivered a speech on the draft resolution "The Role of Diamonds in Fueling Conflict" At the 69th plenary meeting and the 71st session of the UN General Assembly on February 2, 2017.
The resolution on "The role of diamonds in fomenting conflict", presented by the UAE, includes important decisions of the Kimberley Process that were adopted on the basis of consensus during the UAE's stay as chairman of the KP in 2016.
The resolution, developed in co-authorship with 41 countries and adopted by the UN, notes that at its plenary meeting, the CP took note of the proposal by the UAE to develop a methodology for the valuation of diamonds, and considered it appropriate to establish the Permanent Secretariat of the Kimberley Process and to accept the proposal of the Chairman of the KP In 2016 to establish a trust fund with the participation of many donors to finance civil society. This work will now continue under the leadership of Australia, which assumes the role of chairman of the KP in 2017.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, the chairman of the KP, Ahmed bin Sulayem, said:
"Representing governments, industry and civil society engaged in diamond trading, I was able to visit over 20 countries, both members of the Kimberley Process and its future participants. We believe that everything we do in the Kimberley Process should support and guide the work that is carried out mainly in the developing world. During my presidency, I was proud to represent officials who regulate diamond trade in producing countries of rough stones. My trip to the Central African Republic, which was excluded from the Kimberley Process, was particularly important in helping that country to meet the requirements of the Kimberley Process, which made it possible to resume diamond exports from the new zones of the country,
The UN also expressed its gratitude to the participants in the plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process for their approval of the resumption of the participation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the work of the CP and its readiness to receive the delegation for the review tour.
Ahmed bin Sulayem outlined three specific proposals made by the UAE as chairman in 2016, which are also reflected in the resolution:
"Firstly, the Kimberley Process is suffering from structural limitations - the lack of a Permanent Secretariat, having the skills and resources that will last longer than the duration of the period of rotation presiding country. For example, the Kimberley Process team worked hard with the authorities of the Central African Republic to restore the legitimate diamond industry. But our working groups and teams consist entirely of volunteers, working without administrative infrastructure. Ideally, we should have had the opportunity to work much faster and more efficiently, but this was impossible without the establishment of the Permanent Secretariat. I am glad that the proposal of the UAE to establish a permanent secretariat was welcomed and included in the draft resolution.
Secondly, the participation of civil society is important for the success of the Kimberley Process, but many very experienced NGOs have been excluded from the job because they do not have direct access to financing participation. For this reason, the draft resolution welcomes the readiness of the Kimberley Process to continue discussing the proposal of the UAE to establish a trust fund or similar mechanisms that will provide financial support for the broad participation of civil society in the Process.
Thirdly, underestimation and overestimation undermine the legitimacy of information about Kimberley Process certificates. During our presidency, we initiated a series of seminars to develop a unified methodology for the valuation of diamonds. Although there was no consensus on a detailed proposal, the draft resolution includes elements of what the methodology should cover. The UAE, as a participant in the Kimberley Process, will continue to explore ways to improve the assessment by producing countries so that they can obtain the most reliable estimate of the value of their natural resources.
We are especially grateful that these initiatives were reflected in the draft resolution and that they will continue to be discussed with the future chairman. "
Representatives of other countries, speaking at the UN General Assembly, expressed gratitude to the UAE for their work as the chairman of the KP in 2016.
"The European Union and its member countries participating as a single participant in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme would like first of all to thank the United Arab Emirates for presiding over the Kimberley Process and to endorse the results achieved to strengthen the Kimberley Process and Fight against the challenges of the future, "the EU representative said and added:" The EU is pleased to note that in the past twelve months a high priority has been given to the issue of valuation of diamonds, in particular STI, development of a unified methodology. We strongly support the efforts of the KP to create decent living conditions for people engaged at the very beginning of the diamond pipeline. "
The representative of Australia said: "Let me begin by expressing my deep gratitude to Australia for the United Arab Emirates for their work on the chairmanship of the Kimberley Process in 2016. We thank the UAE for being generous in meeting the Kimberley Process, and for organizing additional meetings in special forums. " The representative of Australia further noted: "The CAR monitoring team carried out important work in 2016, including its ongoing work to ensure compliance with the Kimberley Process requirements by creating special zones in the country that are compatible with the organization's rules."
The representative of Angola said: "On behalf of my delegation, I would like to express my gratitude and gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, who is completing the presidency of the Kimberley Process, for their outstanding leadership and for their hard work in ensuring and coordinating the negotiations on the draft resolution that we will adopt today."
The representative of Botswana said: "Let me express our deep gratitude and appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for the qualified conduct of the Kimberley Process cases during their presidency in 2016. We express our gratitude to them for their leadership in contributing to the ideals of the CP, and also for being part of the KP structure, which itself is committed to transformations and transformation. " He further stated: "For us, diamonds are the source of life. They give food to our tables, help to invest in our children through education and training, as well as provide technical training to people and promote comprehensive development for sustainable growth. "
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