This conference was convened within the framework of the Diamonds for Development initiative (D4D), which focuses on the sustainable use of revenue from mineral resources for the purposes of development. It was organised by the Government of Liberia in partnership with UNDP Liberia and International Alert with the objective of identifying ways to ensure that the alluvial diamond sector contributes to sustainable peace and development in the Mano River Basin sub-region.
Hosted by the Government of Liberia’s Ministry for Land, Mines and Energy and held at the Ministry of Gender and Development in Monrovia, the conference was attended by 118 participants from Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, the UK and the USA. They included representatives of the governments of Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Secretariat of the Mano River Union, the regional and international public and private sectors, civil society, local mining communities, academics and donors.
The conference was informed by a background paper produced by International Alert on the current state of diamond mining in the Mano River Basin and the potential of diamonds as a tool for peacebuilding and development. Based on a series of visits to working diamond mines, interviews with diggers, mine owners, traders, exporters, government officials and NGOs, the report provided an overview of the sub-region and detailed analysis of each country, identifying possible ways of delivering a larger part of the revenue from diamonds to the miners themselves and to the rural communities that host them, plus strategies for making artisanal mine owners more efficient and profitable and less financially dependent on the traders who buy their stones. It also suggested ways of improving cooperation and harmonising diamond policy at the regional and international level.
The proceedings were opened officially by Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and included plenary sessions and break-out group sessions, which focused on:
- Issues and challenges of harmonisation (of licensing, land and mining, taxation, labour, environment)
- Legal, social and fiscal issues (community, local development and environment, legal and regulatory frameworks, fiscal and revenue management)
- Strategies for moving forward and making diamonds a positive force for development in the region
Presentations made at the conference can be found on the conference website: http://www.lr.undp.org/governances7.htm
The importance of devising practical ways forward was strongly emphasised throughout the conference. A communiqué summarising its conclusions and recommendations was approved by the participants and will provide the basis for future action.
The conference organisers would like to thank Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia for her support. Special thanks are also due to Minister Eugene Shannon for his strategic vision in championing the objectives and the framework of D4D, Assistant Minister A. Kpandel Fayia for taking the lead in the organisation of the conference. In addition, we would like to thank the governments of Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Sierra Leone for their contribution and participation.
