A new pilot project aims to set up a fully transparent, digitally enabled mine-to-market program for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) cooperatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The purpose of the pilot is to develop a blueprint that focuses on transparency, sustainability and fair trade, which over time can be scaled up, within the DRC but also in other countries.
The DRC is the largest producer of artisanal mined diamonds in the world, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of global ASM production, which in turn constitutes an estimated 15 to 20 per cent of the total diamond production in the world.
Because of its largely informal character, this segment of the diamond mining industry is particularly vulnerable to human rights violations, poor working conditions, corruption and opaque or illicit trade.
In November last year, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), and the DRC Ministry of Mines and its subdivisions SAEMAPE and CEEC signed an MoU that would allow to initiate the project.Establishing a fully transparent value chain aligns with the ambitions of reforming the diamond industry, set out by DRC President Tshisekedi, and his Minister of Mining, Mrs Kalambayi. “The Congolese Ministry of Mining, the mining land registry (Cadastre Minier), SAEMAPE and the CEEC, will work with the other partners to create a legal and fiscal framework that allows efficient formalisation, combatting corruption, eradicating logistical hurdles, and increasing transparency in financial and fiscal flows,” Minister Kalambayi commented.
After visiting various ASM operations in the past months, DDI@RESOLVE together with SAEMAPE selected six cooperatives in various stages of formalization, to become part of the pilot program. DDI@RESOLVE, who created the first-ever set of standards for ethical artisanal diamond production and supply chain security, known as the Maendeleo Diamond Standards (MDS), will oversee the project on the ground, including the training, auditing, and certification of the cooperatives in line with MDS and OECD Due Diligence standards.
Stephen d’Esposito, CEO of NGO DDI@RESOLVE; “Our key mission aligns perfectly with this project; to transform ambitious ideas into real benefits for people, communities, and ecosystems. Through many years of working in DRC’s artisanal diamond mining industry we have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge and expertise. Further supported by the RESOLVE structure, we bring collaborative expertise and a solutions-focused mindset to the table.”
Creating a blueprint for fair traded diamonds doesn’t stop at formalising and certifying artisanal and small-scale mining operations. OrigemA has the ambition to create the first digitally and blockchain supported value chain for ASM productions.
“We believe it is essential to have all partners, including government and the cooperatives themselves, involved at the ground level. This bottom-up, collaborative approach ensures that we create a model that considers the realities of artisanal, small-scale mining in remote regions and that the resulting blueprint can be scaled up and replicated in the field. That is why kicking off this pilot in Kasai, Kananga, meeting face-to-face with the cooperatives and local communities was so important,” says Karen Rentmeesters, Head of Industry Relations at the AWDC.
