The ongoing 10th Ordinary Conference of the Council of Ministers of the African Diamond Producers Association in Freetown, Sierra Leone is crucial to Liberia’s preparations for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme review scheduled for June this year, according to Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye.
Speaking at the occasion on Monday, Minister Paye said the conference is facilitating valuable information-sharing among member countries of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) to enhance regulatory frameworks and increase revenue generation from diamond production.
The Kimberley Process is a global initiative uniting governments, industry, and civil society to eliminate conflict diamonds and promote ethical diamond trade.
Minister Paye highlighted the significance of learning from regional experiences, noting that while countries like Sierra Leone engage in industrial diamond production, Liberia faces challenges due to its reliance on artisanal and small-scale production methods.
He emphasized the need for Liberia to explore strategies for transitioning to industrial diamond production to boost revenue for economic growth and national development.
This is Liberia’s third participation in the ADPA annual conference
“With Africa’s new approach of ‘measure it in order to manage it’, Liberia will have to carry out its own exploration in strategizing means of transitioning the Country to industrial production of diamond to generate huge revenue needed for economic growth and national development,” he said.
Giving highlights from inception activities of the Freetown 2025 ADPA Council of Ministers Conference, Minister Paye disclosed that at the conclusion of the meetings, Sierra Leone will assume Chairmanship of the Association for the next two years, taking over from Zimbabwe.
He expressed excitement that Liberia has made efforts in reactivating its membership with the Diamond Producers Association, settling outstanding arrears and participating in the annual conference.
Madam Rebecca Fallah from the Ministry of Mines and Energy is part of the Liberian delegation at the ADPA Conference in Freetown. While in Freetown, Minister Wilmot Paye will also represent the government at programs marking Sierra Leone’s observance of its ‘2025 Mining Week’.
