Vice-Eersteminister en Minister van Werk, Economie en Consumenten, Belast met Buitenlandse Handel Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre de l Emploi, de l Economie et des Consommateurs, Chargé du Commerce Extérieur TOESPRAAK DOOR KRIS PEETERS VICE-EERSTE MINISTER EN MINISTER VAN WERK, ECONOMIE, CONSUMENTENZAKEN, BELAST MET BUITENLANDSE HANDEL Kimberley Process Intersessional Gala 20 juni 2018 Dear Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear KP Family, Generally speaking, Belgians are modest and humble people. But there is one city in our country that famously defies that principle. That city is, indeed, Antwerp. And honestly, who can blame us. How can we not be proud of Antwerp s heritage? How can we not be proud of the world s diamond capital? 1
Antwerp is indeed the largest and most important diamond trading center in the world. 84% of all rough diamonds are traded through Antwerp. And we are confident this will not change. A recent study by PriceWaterhousCoopers has reconfirmed that Antwerp s business environment, compared to other centers, makes it the best marketplace to trade diamonds, and particularly rough diamonds. We hope that diamond producing countries represented here tonight continue to choose Antwerp as their primary market to sell rough diamonds. The Belgian government is committed to continue our support for the Antwerp diamond industry, one of the true pillars of our foreign trade. Together with the diamond industry in Belgium, we continue to invest a great amount of time and energy to strengthen the transparency and compliance of this industry. Because transparency and compliance lead to trust. And trust leads to a healthy business environment and a higher profitability. 2
This is why we have improved the fiscal certainty of Antwerp s diamond trade by adopting the Diamond Regime, known as the Carat Tax. Moreover, I am working on improving the bankability of the Antwerp diamond industry in order to strengthen the most desirable trading centre in the world from every possible perspective. During the opening session of the Kimberley Process Intersessional meeting yesterday, I mentioned that the KP finds itself at a crossroads. The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark 1. The momentum is there to modernize the KP, keeping it fit for purpose. I support the ambitious agenda that the KP has set for itself. Now is the time to take responsibility and walk the talk. We must ensure that the KP continues to be an instrument that protects the integrity of the diamonds we love. 1 Michelangelo 3
Many voices within the diamond industry feel that the KP is the bare minimum we can do to safeguard its sustainability. I believe they are right. As minister of Consumer Affairs, I know that consumers prefer brands that go the extra mile ; brands that have a proven track record of social awareness and conduct their business sustainably. Brands, in other words, with a good purpose and a transparent story. This is why many sector organizations and companies in the diamond industry develop their own industry standards or projects to foster an ethical and sustainable diamond value chain. With this in mind, it is my great pleasure to now officially announce the launch of the second My Fair Diamond collection to this distinguished audience. In 2015, CAP Conseil, a sustainable development consultancy based in Belgium, presented an idea for a fully ethical and traceable diamond jewelry project to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. In doing so, they would use diamonds of small-scale origin. 4
Two years later, the first MY FAIR DIAMOND collection became a reality, and now we have a second one. Maendeleo is a Swahili word meaning development and progress. The Diamond Development Initiative, or DDI, introduced the Maendeleo Diamond Standards to ensure that diamonds are mined in conflict-free zones and with respect for human rights. I am proud to say that the very first DDI Maendeleo diamonds ever produced are used in this jewelry. As a result, the jewels you will see tonight meet the most stringent ethical, transparency and external verification standards. They also promote and safeguard the development of local traditional expertise. This project pushes the ethical status of diamonds to a higher level, to the level of actively creating a positive impact. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what I call progress. 5
I invite you all to discover this beautiful MY FAIR DIAMOND collection, and may we all be inspired to develop many more brilliant projects such as this. Thank you. 6