The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has called for urgent reforms to the Kimberly Process, highlighting the evolving nature of conflict in diamond-producing communities.
The Kimberly process is an international certification scheme established in 2003 to prevent “conflict diamonds”—rough diamonds used by armed groups to finance wars—from entering the mainstream market.
Speaking at the Kimberly Process Ministerial Meeting held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Mr. Gyamfi emphasised the historic achievements of the initiative while cautioning that the system must adapt to contemporary challenges.
The meeting brought together government officials, industry players, and civil society representatives 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.
He noted, however, that conflicts in diamond communities have shifted 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,” Mr. Gyamfi added.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise decisive action, stating that Ghana acknowledges the legitimacy 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,” he concluded.
