Africa-Press – Liberia. The Kimberley Process Review Team is visiting Liberia for the first time in 13 years to assess the progress the country has made and to further strengthen the mining sector.
The event, held on Monday, March 23, was hosted by the Ministry of Mines and Energy at the Bella Casa Hotel in Monrovia.
It brought together representatives from the Legislature, development partners and other stakeholders in the sector.
Delivering the welcome remarks, the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Madam Eudora Blay Pritchard, expressed appreciation for the Kimberley Process’ continued support.
“Liberia remains fully committed to the principles and requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. We recognize the critical importance of ensuring that our diamonds are conflict-free and contribute positively to economic growth and sustainable development in Liberia,” Deputy Minister Pritchard said.
She noted that the government has taken significant steps to strengthen its systems and align them with international best practices.
“Through the leadership of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, we continue to enhance regulatory oversight, improve licensing processes, and ensure effective monitoring of diamond production and export,” she said.
Madam Pritchard added that Liberia has made notable progress in improving governance in the diamond sector, including strengthening export control systems, enhancing record-keeping and traceability mechanisms, and introducing more structured diamond valuation practices.
She further emphasized outreach efforts aimed at miners, brokers, and exporters to improve understanding of Kimberley Process requirements and national regulations.
“At key export points, including Roberts International Airport, we have implemented stronger controls to ensure compliance with certification procedures and to safeguard the integrity of our exports,” the Deputy Minister said.
Kimberley Process Highlights Achievements
The head of the Kimberley Process Review Visiting Delegation to Liberia, Alexander Novikov, described the initiative as a successful multilateral mechanism in combating conflict diamonds.
He noted that over more than 20 years, the Kimberley Process has significantly reduced the presence of conflict diamonds in global trade.
Mr. Novikov also highlighted achievements such as balanced functioning of the diamond market, open dialogue among governments, industry and civil society and stable economic growth in producing and processing countries.
Additional accomplishments include improved social conditions in local communities and the introduction of advanced industry best practices.
“We highly commend the effectiveness of this mechanism and all the positive change it has brought to the industry and to communities worldwide. This review visit is a continuation of that shared commitment,” Mr. Novikov said.
He explained the purpose of the visit.
“Indeed, our primary task here is to confirm Liberia’s compliance with the KPCS minimum requirements by analyzing what we observe during this visit. Our mandate is to see the reality on the ground with our own eyes. We are here to be eye-witnesses and everything we observe will be carefully documented and reflected in our final report.”
Measures to Strengthen Local Participation
Responding to inquiries, the Director for Mines, Alwell Aloysius Carr, stated that the Ministry of Mines and Energy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, has introduced more affordable regulations to encourage Liberians participation in the mining sector.
He explained that the cost of a border license has been reduced: “For example, border license uses to be us$ 1,500 but because we want Liberians to equally participate, for people to be independent, the Ministry in its wisdom along with the Ministry of Finance decided to reduce that to us$ 500.”
Tackling Diamond Smuggling
Addressing concerns about diamond smuggling, Mr. Carr revealed that mining engineers have recently undergone specialized training in India and will be deployed across mining regions.
“As part of our decentralization process, we believe that employing our staffs across the country it will help us ensure that revenue that have loss are being recovered,” Mr. Carr added.
The visit by the Kimberley Process Review Team marks a significant step in evaluating Liberia’s compliance and strengthening transparency in the country’s diamond sector, as the government continues to push for accountability, local participation and sustainable development.
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