Last Friday at the end of its plenary held in Gaborone, the Kimberley Process, the global anti-conflict diamonds group backed by the United Nations, voted in favour of establishing its secretariat in Botswana.
The vote officially confirmed that the country had beaten contenders such as China and Austria to the nomination, with the race having taken several years and intensive international lobbying by all bidders.
BusinessWeek exclusively broke the news about Botswana’s confirmation as host last Wednesday, but in a communique issued on Monday, the Kimberley Process provided more details about the process to establish in Gaborone.
According to the communique, the new secretariat will be funded by a contribution of $83,333 each year for the first three years by the World Diamond Council and a contribution of 20% of its budget by Botswana as the host country.
Over the next three years, the Kimberley Process’ 85 member states will be required to contribute amounts ranging from $20,000 to $1,000 depending on the level of their diamond exports and imports.
“To prepare for the physical launch of the Kimberley Process Secretariat in Botswana, the plenary decided to create a KPS Taskforce under the Working Group of Diamond Experts committee, with membership and chairmanship [chairwomanship] to be determined in January 2023,” the communique reads. “The KPS Taskforce mandate will include drafting and making recommendations for adoption by the plenary on the terms of reference for the secretariat, the host country arrangement and selection of the secretariat’s secretary.”
The task force will make final proposals and report to the 2023 Plenary due to be held in Zimbabwe next November.
Edward Asscher, president of the World Diamond Council (WDC), said the organisation would continue its role of supporting the Kimberley Process as its Administrative Support Mechanism until the secretariat is fully functional in Gaborone.
“Work now will begin on physically establishing the Permanent Secretariat in Gaborone, and appointing its staff, with the goal being to begin operations on January 1, 2024,” he told the plenary.
The WDC also chaired the Technical Expert Team, which over four years assessed the bids submitted to host the secretariat and eventually settled on Botswana as the unanimous candidate. The team also developed the budget that will guide the new secretariat.
Asscher heaped praise on Botswana’s role in helping build global confidence in the 'diamonds for good' campaign.
“Botswana is the model for what we ultimately are trying to achieve in the Kimberley Process,” he told the plenary’s closing session. “It is a shining example of what can be done when you get things right – deploying diamond deposits for the benefit of all of a country’s citizens – through the development of national infrastructure, the educational system, and health services.”
