Kimberley Team Inspects Israeli Operations

A Kimberley Process delegation visited Israel earlier this month on a review mission to check the country's compliance with the KP control standards and its implementation. The five-member delegation also visited various diamond related facilities to learn about the industry.

Headed by Jacob A.R. Thamage, Director of Mineral Affairs in the Botswana Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, the team also included Don Law-West, Senior Mineral Economist in the Indian and Northern Affairs Office of Canada; Fabienne Juilland Metzger of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland; Ian Smillie, Research Coordinator at the NGO Partnership Africa Canada and World Diamond Council Chairman Eli Izhakoff.

Udi Sheintal (left) with KP review mission members Jacob Thamage, Don Law-West, Ian Smillie, Fabienne Juilland Metzger and Arieh Lev, Deputy Diamond Controller

 

During their May 17 - 20 visit, hosted by Diamond Controller Udi Sheintal, the team visited a number of Israeli companies to see how the industry works in Israel. Thamage stressed, however: “This is not an audit”.

According to Ian Smillie, the delegation’s main concern is with countries affected by war: “I saw how it affected Sierra Leone”. But he is encouraged by the changes in the West African country resulting from the KP. “Sierra Leone has an export tax and part of the proceeds goes to local charities,” to ensure it’s worthwhile to maintain the certification system.

“We want to ensure that the requirements are maintained and that countries don’t slide back,” Thamage added. He is now trying to recruit the World Bank to lend a hand and help the locals in Sierra Leone.

Asked what challenges the KP faces now that rules and requirements have been agreed on, Smillie referred to implementation where “there is an illicit market”.

He feels the role of the Process is to make illegal trade difficult, comparing the Process to battling car theft – maybe you can’t stop it altogether, but laws and enforcement can curb it.

Talking about its mission to Israel, group members told of their visit to a local polishing plant. Some of the members are government officials and are unfamiliar with the day-to-day operations of the diamond industry, said Law-West. “I didn’t know that the yield of a rough diamond can be less then 50 percent,” he said, as an example of what he had learned.

The delegation’s report will be handed to Diamond Controller Sheintal for comments and an opportunity to reply to any criticism that might be included and only then made public.

“The review was very thorough and we believe that the team was satisfied with what they saw. We are confident that our level of compliance conforms to Kimberley standards. We look forward to receiving their report,” said Sheintal.

"I believe that all member countries must open up their enforcement system for inspection. Only if all of the countries conform to the same standards, will we be able to ensure that no conflict diamonds can penetrate the legitimate trade."

Botswana and Congo are next to host a review mission.