Kimberley Process Review Mission to New York & Washington

The Kimberley Process Review Mission to the U.S. convened at the offices of the New York Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) Tuesday. The three-day mission had an aggressively comprehensive agenda with delegates scheduled to visit diamond companies, shippers and government officials in New York and Washington, DC.

After a breakfast hosted by DDC President Jacob Banda, delegates were welcomed by Eli Izhakoff, Chairman and CEO of the World Diamond Congress. Martin Hochbaum, Chairman, Treasurer and Director of the U.S.  Kimberley Process Authority (USKPA) then presented an agenda overview for this peer review mission to the U.S.

Cecilia Gardner, General Counsel and Director, USKPA, gave an overview of U.S. Kimberley Process Authority’s procedures. This was followed by a presentation on existing U.S. regulatory framework by Rochelle Stern, Chief, Policy and Planning and Program Management from the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Stan Specht, Special Advisor for Conflict Diamonds, State Department, then discussed the working relationship between the U.S. government and the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority. Import clearance processes were discussed by William Scopa, Chief Commercial Enforcement Division of U.S.  Customs and Border Protection. Automated export systems and statistical issues were then addressed jointly by C. Harvey Monk, Jr., Chief Foreign Trade Division and Kristen Nespoli, Supervisor, Commodity Analysis Branch, U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Matthew Runci, President and CEO of Jewelers of America, rounded off the morning’s presentations speaking about a system of warranties which started a discussion between industry and government attendees on issues critical to both.

The first day’s events included a visit to shipping company Malca-Amit to meet with Robert Przywara, Senior Vice President of Malca-Amit USA, and a walking tour of New York’s Diamond District. The first day’s activities concluded with attendees being hosted by the Diamond Industry Steering Committee at the trendy Water Club.

During their visit, members of the peer review mission are scheduled to meet with senior officials of the U.S. Customs Service at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport as well as key operations staff from Malca-Amit USA’s facilities at JFK. A luncheon hosted by ABN Amro Bank, followed by a visit to diamond firm and Sightholder Lazare Kaplan International, wrapped up the New York part of the group’s visit.

The mission then heads to Washington, DC for meetings with government officials. A lengthy meeting is scheduled with the U.S. Kimberley Process Interagency Implementation Coordinating Committee’s Co-Chairs, Paul Simons, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the State Department, and Robert Werner, Director of the Office of Asset Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, at the State Department’s Washington offices.

A report is to be produced at the close of the mission which will encompass their findings and recommendations based upon the three-day visit.