Story by Tichaona Kurewa
The Kimberley Process inter-sessional meeting has kicked off in Victoria Falls, with the government confident the country’s assumption of the KP’s chairmanship, will boost the country’s gem sales.
The Kimberley Process Inter-sessional meeting got underway in Victoria Falls this Monday, with delegates from across the globe deliberating on ways to smoothen the trade of diamonds worldwide.
Mines and Mining Development Minister, Honourable Winston Chitando told journalists in Victoria Falls about the discussion points and the significance of the meeting.
“Here in Victoria Falls we are having an inter-sessional meeting, where we are reviewing progress during the first half of this year and focusing on work plans for the second half,” he said.
“No announcements will be made. It raises awareness of Zimbabwe’s diamonds and the appetite for Zimbabwe’s diamonds. For tourism, there are a number of people who have never been to Victoria Falls, so it is a boost to the tourism industry,” he added.
Under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), two meetings are held within a year; the inter-sessional meeting midway through the year and the plenary meeting held towards the end of the year.
The inter-sessional meeting is a closed-door meeting, while the plenary session is public, whose communique can be shared and presented to the United Nations the following year.
Zimbabwe is the current chairperson of the KPCS, a development described by analysts as an endorsement of the country’s diamond industry and fruits of the engagement and re-engagement drive by the Second Republic.
