The Intersessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP), presided over by Israel as Chair, has concluded without reaching consensus regarding the implementation of the Joint Work Plan (JWP) concerning Zimbabwe’s diamonds and the work carried out by the KP Monitor to Marange.

According to KP Chair Boaz Hirsch, who played a pivotal role in attempting to breach the gap between the sides along with Chair of the Working-Group on Monitoring, Stephane Chardon and Eli Izhakoff, President of the World Diamond Council (WDC), such a situation has never happened before at a KP meeting.

"This situation is unprecedented in the Kimberley Process meeting, but all parties are committed to further engagement. The KP is based on a partnership between governments, the diamond industry and the civil society. I am committed to that end and I have asked Mr. Izhakoff to jointly convene within the WDC Annual Meeting coming July 14th-15th, in St. Petersburg, a mini-summit of the KP major stakeholders,” explains Hirsch, adding that, “Deliberations will continue in order to find a consensus based resolution."

The intersessional meeting was clouded by the arrest of Farai Mguwu, a Zimbabwean activist of a local non-governmental organization by the Zimbabwean authorities three weeks ago as well as reports on his condition.

Israel will host the Plenary meeting in Jerusalem between the 1st and 4th of November of this year.