EU-India make proposal for KP Chair in 2018, 2019

The Dollar Business Bureau

Representatives of European Union and India have made a coordinated proposal in the Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional. According to the proposal, the EU will act as the Vice-Chair of KP in 2017 and as Chair in 2018. India will be the Vice-Chair of KP in 2018 and take the position of Chair in 2019, Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement on Friday.

The KP Intersessional meeting took place during May 23-26, 2016 in Dubai.

Tung-Lai Margue, Head of the EU Delegation at the KP meet, said that both the delegations from EU and India announced this as responsible partners of KP. They are providing a solution to avoid circumstances of conflict at KP in the coming crucial years. He also outlined the goals of EU and India related to the KP.

The delegation will provide an agreement on the proposed solution to the KP with expected Chairmanship for the two consecutive years 2018 and 2019. It will also deliver a continuous programme on the shared priorities between the two consecutive Chairs, Margue said. 

Manoj Dwivedi, Head of the Indian Delegation to the KP meet, Joint Secretary of Department of Commerce, said that India and EU intend to work together in strengthening the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The EU and India would continue putting their efforts as the Chair and the Vice Chair respectively. Earlier in 2007 and 2008, both the countries had strengthened the KP as successive Chairs, he added.

Dwivedi further said,  as per the new administrative rules and criteria to choose candidates for Vice-Chair of the KP, the proposal was made by the EU and India. Both will move an application as specified in the administrative rules. But this will happen only after the Chair calls for applications for the position of Vice Chair in 2017.