A high level team from the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is in Guyana conducting a one week Peer Review exercise aimed at, among other things, certifying that conflict diamonds are not being mixed with Guyana’s and exported.
In 2012, Reuters had reported that Venezuelan diamonds were being mixed with Guyana’s and then exported. The Venezuelan gems are thought to be easily transported through Guyana’s porous borders.
The Ministry of Natural Resources in a release on Tuesday said that a team consisting of Louis Perron of the Government of Canada, James Lombe of World Diamond Council, Paul Roberto Alves of Brazil, and Frisco McDonald of the US Embassy Georgetown held discussions with Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud. Also present were Rickford Vieira, Commissioner, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; Patrick Harding, President, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association and other stakeholders of the sector.
The review of the local diamond trade was requested by Guyana and this was noted in the communique from the November 2013 Plenary in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Minister Persaud in his remarks at a meeting with the team stated that the evaluation is timely and anticipates a successful
