To stem the flow of conflict diamonds, the Central African Republic (CAR) established the Permanent Secretary of the Kimberley Process (PSKP). Charged with meeting Kimberley Process (KP) compliance requirements, the PSKP has been operating since 2003 in the absence of an adequate legal and operational framework.
At the request of the Permanent Secretary of the Kimberley Process , the Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development (PRADD II) is assisting the Secretary and the Ministry of Mines to address these gaps. The Ministry of Mines demonstrated its commitment by establishing a committee to set up the legal and institution framework of the PSKP. Encouraged by this effort, PRADD II invited an internationally renowned expert from the Democratic Republic of Congo , Maurice Miema, to propose an organizational structure and provide guidance on traceability issues.
Drawing upon a comparative study of how the Kimberley Process is implemented in other countries, Miema outlined proven, practical steps for the PSKP to fulfill its mission by preparing a Traceability Procedures Manual. This manual specifies the steps required to gather diamond production and sales data; register artisanal miners; identify artisanal mining sites; trace diamonds from mine sites to export; and share information. The Minister of Mines, the PSKP, and the Director of General Mines validated the manual and the proposed legal framework during a two-day consultative workshop in Bangui in December 2016.
The Permanent Secretary of the Kimberley Process in CAR heralded the effort. “Finally, we have become strong with these texts.” The Director General of Mines underscored the importance of the leadership role of Central African authorities in codifying and enacting the recommended changes: “The Ministry of Mines has an obligation to review the mining regulations as a basis for institutional reforms, as well as assure a devolution of power and capacity to the different structures working in the framework of the implementation of the Certification System of the Central Process Kimberly in the CAR.”