dyton mupawaenda
Mukudzei Chingwere–Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE pushed to ensure that diamonds play a critical role in inclusive sustainable global development during its chairmanship of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme last year.
Delivering the outgoing chairman’s report at the 78th United Nations General Assembly plenary debate on ‘the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict’ in New York yesterday, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Albert Ranganai Chimbindi, said Zimbabwe seeks to continue building and maintaining consumer confidence in natural diamonds through the Kimberley Process tripartite arrangement.
Ambassador Chimbindi delivered the report after visa complications saw the chair of the KPCS for 2023, Minister Winston Chitando, and the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Zhemu Soda, failing to travel to the seat of the UN which is domiciled in New York, United States.
He told the plenary that with a global annual trade value of US$16,2 billion and supporting global livelihoods of over 10 million people, Governments have redoubled efforts to safeguard the diamond industry and to do away with conflict diamonds.
“The diamond industry continues to support the livelihoods of over 10 million people around the world and is one of the sectors that has the potential to solve some of the developmental challenges in the world,” said Ambassador Chimbindi.
Zimbabwe was elected chair of the KPCS at the plenary meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, from 01–04 November 2022, taking over from Botswana which had been chair the previous year.
“Upon her assumption of the stewardship of the Kimberley Process, Zimbabwe committed, and presided over, the activities of the scheme, guided by its founding principles and the over-arching objectives,” Ambassador Chimbindi said.
“We strive to continue building and maintaining consumer confidence in natural diamonds through the Kimberley Process tripartite arrangement”.
He said Zimbabwe has also voluntarily rolled out efforts to ensure responsible sourcing through the launch and implementation of the responsible mining audit.
“The audit is meant to assess the country’s compliance with national legislation on labour, environmental, social, mineral governance and mine safety standards, among others.
“The commitment by the Government of Zimbabwe to share the outcomes with different stakeholders, including civil society and communities affected by mining, were commended by the Kimberley Process.
“We are ready and available to share this template on carrying out a responsible mining audit with any interested member states in the collaborative spirit of the Kimberley Process,” said Ambassador Chimbindi.
The United Arab Emirates took over the chairmanship for 2024 from Zimbabwe.
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