The Kimberley Process family can look back on a fruitful meeting, with high interaction and constructive engagement in the working bodies, the sub-teams and in the special forum. It allowed for discussions on different issues related to the review and reform agenda, monitoring, technical aspects of diamond trade and statistics, challenges in alluvial and artisanal mining next to procedural and partnership matters. Tangible progress was made in these areas, i.e. to ensure that the Kimberley Process remains fit for purpose in a changing world through reform, by reinforcing its tripartite structure, deepening the review and reform process, strengthening implementation and effectiveness, as well as focusing on human conditions in mining and the prosperity of producing communities.
"We now must wrap-up our work and take it forward, building on what we have achieved together this week, so that we can come with tangible results at the Plenary in Brussels in November", KP Chair Hillde Hardeman said at the closing ceremony. "We need to deliver results that make a difference on the ground. We need to continue our work base on merit, in an open spirit. We will continue to work hand in hand, together with civil society and industry. Sustainability, inclusiveness, responsibility and dialogue, remain our points of reference."
To well prepare the Brussels Plenary (12-16 November 18), it was agreed that after the gatherings this year in New-York and Antwerp, the Chairs of the KP Working Groups would come together for a Coordination Meeting in South-Africa. India, in its capacity of KP Vice-Chair and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Reform and Review, is further planning a face-to-face meeting in the first half of September, seeking in this way progress in the review and reform agenda. Next to the good work in the reform agenda, several country review visits are scheduled for the second half of 2018, aiming to further take stock of best practices and lessons learned. Particular attention will be given to the build-up in interactive regional cooperation, in the field of alluvial and artisanal diamond mining as well as in relation to the socio-economic environment of mining communities. An Artisanal Diamond Mining Forum will be furthermore be organised in Zambia in September 2018.