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1. U.S. Department of State
Office of Language Services
Translating Division
LS No. 05-2012-0517-2
French/English
GPG/BBM
TRANSLATION
Remarks by the Chair of the Participation Committee at the Intersessional
Meeting in Washington
Madam Ambassador, Chair of the Kimberley Process;
Honorable Ministers;
Honorable Assistant Secretary of State;
Honorable Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions;
Mr. President of the World Diamond Council;
Representative of Civil Society;
Distinguished guests, in your respective positions and capacities;
Dear Colleagues:
It is a great pleasure to take the floor as Chair of the Participation Committee to
provide you with a brief report on my activities.
First, I would like to congratulate Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic on her
appointment as Kimberley Process Chair. This is the first time that a woman has
held this position.
Madam Ambassador, please know that you have my full support. I understand how
difficult it is to chair the Kimberley Process at such a crucial time.
I would also like to thank Ambassador Milovanovic and her team for the warm
welcome we have received since arriving in the United States.

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I would be remiss if I did not express my gratitude to the members of the
Participation Committee for their selfless commitment to their duties.
Madam Ambassador, Chair of the Kimberley Process;
Distinguished guests:
As the Kimberley Process celebrates its tenth anniversary, the challenges it faces
are great. As the years pass, the Kimberley Process continues to grow; at the same
time, we must work to ensure its continued relevance, so that it may continue giving
hope to nations in a constant search for betterment.
Therefore, the time is ripe for a reform of the Kimberley Process, in order to address
the questions, both justified and groundless, that have arisen from within and from
outside regarding the effectiveness, and indeed the very validity, of the system
Whatever people may say, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has proven
its worth. The political interference that arose at a certain point almost destabilized
the system and undermined its essentially technical nature. Fortunately, the pillars of
the great Kimberley Process family were able, in their wisdom, to put us back on the
right track. Having taken stock of the lessons learned, we no longer have the right to
err. Now, we must seek common ground in order to salvage and to promote our
initiative, the Kimberley Process.
Accordingly, reform will entail a reconsideration of our current practices and of our
respective positions, as producer Participants, importer Participants, civil society
Observers, and industry Observers. While we may draw from the models of other
organizations, the Kimberley Process must take into account the complexities of
diamond production and trade. My country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
has experience with many types of minerals, and I can assure you that the extraction
and marketing processes are not necessarily the same for all of them. Nevertheless,
certain overarching principles may be examined to determine what could be adapted
to and useful for the diamond sector.
We therefore call for a careful field analysis of the applicability of any concepts that
would form the basis for reforming the Kimberley Process. There must be clear and
feasible principles, supported by verifiable indicators, in order to prevent arbitrariness
and emotional bias. In other words, we must lay proper foundations.

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I truly hope that the reform process results in recommendations for all of the
stakeholders involved in the Kimberley Process: producer and/or importer
Participants, the industry as a whole, and civil society with regard to organization and
involvement in the Kimberley Process member countries.
This will ensure that the reforms, so crucial to the future of the Kimberley Process,
are free from bias.
That being said, I will now present the report on my activities.
[End of material furnished to LS]