“Diamonds in Central-African Republic for Sustainable Development and Peace" Panel

Nov 3, 2017 | Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the UN, Kingdom of Morocco, and Kingdom of Belgium
New York City, NY

The illegal mining and trading of natural resources is an often overlooked cause of conflict. Control over diamond trade has become a main source of revenue for several armed groups in the CAR and as such a main driver of conflict in the country. What can be done to prevent armed groups to benefit from the diamond trade? How can State revenues from legal diamond export maximize sustainable development of the whole country? What is the national strategy being developed and what are the capacity building needs? How to ensure that these efforts are an integral part of the Plan for the Recovery and Peacebuilding in CAR? Which role for MINUSCA, other UN agencies, the Kimberley process, donors and neighboring countries in support of the national strategy? Conclusions of the event can usefully be taken up by African Ministers of Mining at the African Diamond Conference (Brussels, 13-15 November).

Opening remarks

H.E. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Belgium

H.E. Ambroisine Kpongo, Permanent Representative of the Central African Republic

H.E. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco

Moderator

Ms. Tatiana Carayannis, Project Director, Central African Policy

Forum Keynote Interventions from

Hon. Leopold Mboli Fatran, Minister of Mining, Central African Republic - VTC

Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, UN Special Representative and Head of MINUSCA – VTC

Panelists

H.E. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco

H.E. Michel Tommo Monthe, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cameroon

Mr. Marc Van Bockstael, Chief Business Intelligence, Antwerp World Diamond Centre

Mr. Ruben De Koning, Senior Analyst The Sentry, ex coordinator of UN Panel of Experts for CAR

Mr. Damian Lluna, Administrator “KP team”, European Commission, EU President of KP in 2018 – VTC

Location: Conference Room 11, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Organizers: The Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the UN, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of Belgium

When: November 3 2017, 11 am - 1 pm

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