The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has urged urgent reforms to the Kimberly Process, citing the evolving nature of conflict in diamond-producing communities.
The Kimberly Process, an international certification scheme established in 2003, was designed to prevent “conflict diamonds”—rough diamonds used by armed groups to fund wars—from entering the mainstream market.
Speaking at the Kimberly Process Ministerial Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Gyamfi acknowledged the historic achievements of the initiative but stressed that the system must adapt to contemporary challenges. The meeting brought together government officials, industry representatives, and civil society to discuss the future of the global diamond trade.
“For over two decades, the Kimberly Process has been a historic achievement—a collective effort to ensure that diamonds do not become instruments of conflict, wars, and human suffering,” he said.
Gyamfi highlighted that conflicts in diamond communities have evolved from overt warfare to subtler forms of violence, including exploitation, dispossession, and exclusion.
“Sadly, necessary reforms in the diamond trade have stalled. While we debate, the world changes. The landscape of the diamond trade is fast-shifting, and the moral cost of inaction continues to rise. Many diamond communities still live with the scars of conflict, exploitation, and exclusion. This cannot be the legacy of the Kimberly Process,” he added.
He called on stakeholders to take decisive action, emphasizing Ghana’s recognition of the diverse perspectives and concerns regarding the definition of “conflict diamonds.”
“What matters now is our collective willingness to find common ground and to act decisively,” Gyamfi concluded.
