UAE concludes KP Plenary in Dubai, achieves major outcomes in ‘Year of Delivery’

The UN-mandated Kimberley Process (KP) Plenary concluded in Dubai, UAE, on 15 November 2024 as part of the historic Dubai Diamond Week which gathered hundreds of representatives from across the diamond world including industry, governments, and civil society. The week-long meeting achieved several historic outcomes, including the admittance of Uzbekistan for the first time as a member to the body, bringing the total number of KP members to 60. Following extensive negotiations, the KP voted to lift a decades-long ban on rough diamond exports from the Central African Republic (CAR).

The move means CAR has been readmitted as a full member of the KP – a victory for the UAE’s Chairmanship of the KP under DMCC’s CEO and Executive Chairman, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, who had travelled to CAR and pushed extensively for the KP to initiate a review mission to fast-track the country’s reintegration in light of an improving security situation.

Another key development was the delivery of a proof of concept for the digitalisation of the KP certification process, a tangible outcome for the UAE in its efforts to modernise and reform the KP. The proof of concept supports the transition from paper-based to blockchain-based certificates, thereby enhancing security by making it easier and more secure to track and verify diamond origins and prevent forgeries. Under its ‘Year of Delivery’ as KP Chair, the UAE has pursued a bold agenda to overcome political gridlocks and drive concrete actions, including establishing a permanent Secretariat in Botswana that was achieved in October.

The UAE’s Kimberley Process Chair, Ahmed Bin Sulayem said: “When the UAE assumed the KP Chair, we committed to making 2024 a year of meaningful progress, not merely in words but through action. I am proud to say we have collectively honoured that commitment with several landmark achievements including the inauguration of the permanent KP Secretariat in Botswana, the introduction of the proof of concept for the digitalisation of the KP certificate, the historic intersessional plenary in May and, of course, the re-admittance of Central African Republic into the KP family. This last decision stands among our proudest achievements for the UAE’s Year of Delivery, bolstering our efforts to help nations where diamonds can serve as a force for stability, development, and empowerment.