The Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum, and Gas (MIREMPET) made an appeal yesterday for a concerted effort to combat the promotion campaign of the commercial value of synthetic diamonds over natural ones in the international market, conducted by institutions interested in influencing market prices.
Edições Novembro Diamantino Azevedo spoke to the media on the sidelines of the meeting of the Ad-Hoc Committee for the Review and Reform of the Kimberley Process Certification System, which concludes today in Luanda.
With an agenda focused on presenting proposals and assessing activities carried out during the first half of this year, the first day of the closed-door event was centered on the discussion and evaluation of proposals from the “Conflict Diamonds Definition” working subgroup, led by the World Diamond Council, Technical Assistance, led by South Africa, while the “Main Documentation” subgroups were coordinated by Botswana. The “Best Practices” subgroup is under the direction of India.
The highlight of the opening ceremony was the speech delivered by the Minister of MIREMPET, which received applause from the attendees. “The current international situation demands that we become increasingly united and aligned in defending our common interests, aiming to contribute to making human, political, and economic relations in the world more just and ensure the much-touted sustainable development.”
Diamantino Azevedo expressed confidence that the current state of the global Diamond Industry is a concern for the stakeholders of the Kimberley Process, with a significant focus on government representatives, industry, and civil society, as indicators point to “a moment of particular instability,” primarily due to factors such as “the international economic situation, the campaign to destabilize natural diamonds, combined with the promotion of synthetic diamonds.”
The Minister emphasized that all these factors have had a negative impact on the development and harmonious growth of this important industry, consequently leading to a decrease in diamond prices in the international market.
“Recently, we became aware of initiatives promoted by certain entities that negatively affect natural diamond-producing countries. I am particularly referring to measures of segregation, risks, and the impact on the Diamond Industry in the analysis of diamonds produced in laboratories versus natural diamonds, as well as the statement of the G7 leaders on February 24, 2023,” the Minister stated.
Diamantino Azevedo revealed that his department has been reflecting on these initiatives to “better defend our interests together” in the face of any trends that could produce adverse effects and harm the Diamond Industry.
“This reflection is ongoing, so we must accelerate it, considering that our voices cannot and should not be ignored, as we are important stakeholders in this industry. We count on your collaboration and involvement in this common cause because only united can we win this battle,” emphasized Diamantino Azevedo.
On the other hand, Diamantino Azevedo reaffirmed the Angolan government’s commitment to the United Nations certification mechanism for preventing the use of diamonds in conflicts. “We hope that the ongoing reforms will be successful and that pertinent and fruitful deliberations will be adopted during this working session,” he said.
Strategy of Action
Regarding the main points of the strategy, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum, and Gas emphasized the reinforcement of the fight against illegal diamond mining (artisanal mining), the prevention of illegal emigration for diamond exploitation, global organization, and maximizing the commercial value through cutting and polishing.
Diamantino Azevedo started by recalling that the Ad-Hoc Committee meeting is a mechanism established for the certification of the origin of diamonds.
The Minister considered that the natural Diamond Industry is facing a difficult moment due to the promotion of synthetic diamonds, and he appealed to all natural diamond producers for “better alignment in defense of a common cause regarding this phenomenon.”
“We must combat the illegal mining of minerals, what we call artisanal mining, prevent illegal emigration for diamond exploitation, and organize ourselves environmentally to reduce operational costs and promote natural diamonds better,” he emphasized.
New Competition
According to Minister Diamantino Azevedo, the concept of synthetic diamonds constitutes a new challenge in the current scenario. “If we are not competitive enough, we will begin to have difficulties in marketing our diamonds, which would impact both companies and government revenues,” he warned.
The proposals discussed during this two-day meeting will be submitted to the Plenary Meeting to be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from November 6th to 10th of the next month.
The presidency of the Kimberley Process is currently held by the Republic of Zimbabwe, under the leadership of the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, M.P. Zhemu Soda.
The Ad-Hoc Committee for Review and Reform is led by Angolan Estanislau Buio, serving as the national coordinator of the Kimberley Process, an organization designed to certify the origin of diamonds and prevent the buying and selling of diamonds from conflict areas.
