US to Help Guinea Minimize Illegal Diamond Trade

The US Department of State announced that as part of a partnership between the United States and Guinea, the US will help the African nation adhere more closely to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Objectives of the partnership include:

• Ensure more Guinean rough diamonds enter the legal chain of custody by strengthening the property rights/land tenure of artisanal miners and improving the miners’ skills and range of complementary livelihoods of artisanal diamond miners;
• Raise awareness and skills through training and public education about the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme at national and local levels;
• Increase information transparency with respect to Guinea’s alluvial diamond resources; and
• Strengthen the capacity of government officials, mining associations, and civil society to work collaboratively to assess Guinea’s diamond production capacity and minimize the risks of trade in illegal diamonds.

Click here to read the full report from the US Department of State.