The United Nations backed international diamond anti-conflict organisation, the Kimberley Process (KP), has a new home in Gaborone, Botswana. The pivotal action reflects the country’s rise to prominence in the global diamond sector.
In a development that underlined Botswana’s growing diplomatic influence, the country competed against four bidders—Austria, China, Russia, and the United States of America—at the KPS plenary in November 2022, the country was chosen to host the secretariat.
Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who chairs the KP, inaugurated the new Secretariat in Gaborone last Wednesday.
The Secretariat, the first of its type for the KP, will be staffed by up to five persons during its first year. The Secretariat will also act as support for the 59 nodes of diamond control offices globally, ensuring continuity and transparency in the diamond trade.
The KP is the only mechanism that safeguards the legitimate diamond trade within a controlled environment.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Bin Sulayem noted that the new office will serve as a backbone to the Kimberley Process. “The new office will serve as a backbone to the Kimberley Process, driving unity and helping ensure diamonds continue to be a positive force for African development, bringing real benefits to communities and economies alike,” he says.
