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Update Report No. 5: Liberia

Update in Word Format • PDF Format

Expected Council Action
The Council is expected to adopt a resolution lifting the diamonds embargo on Liberia tomorrow, 27 April, nearly two months ahead of its expiration date envisaged by resolution 1731. The resolution will also:

• encourage the Kimberley Process to report in ninety days to the Council through the sanctions committee on Liberia’s application to join the certification scheme;
• mandate a review of the lifting of the embargo after consideration of the report of the Kimberley Process and of the Panel of Experts (due on 6 June); and
• call on Liberia to implement the Kimberley Process’ recommendations, such as on strengthening domestic controls over the diamond sector.

Key Recent Developments
As described in our April Forecast, the Council reviewed in mid-April Liberia’s progress with establishing an effective, transparent and internationally verifiable certificate of origin for trade in Liberian rough diamonds with a view to joining the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

(Progress in that regard was a key benchmark for the lifting of sanctions on exports of Liberian diamonds in accordance with resolution 1731. The establishment of effective domestic controls has met with difficulties, but assistance from the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the US, Canada, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the De Beers diamond company seems to have had considerable impact in improving Liberia’s meeting of Council benchmarks for lifting the embargo and the criteria for joining the Kimberley Process scheme. Liberia applied for membership in the Kimberley Process in January, but the application’s review seems to have faced some delays.)

Council discussions were held at a sanctions committee meeting in early April and in consultations on 18 April. The sanctions committee received reports from the Panel of Experts, the Liberian government and the Kimberley Process in early April.

Based on the information provided, especially the absence of a recommendation from the Panel to the contrary and Liberia’s reported efforts to establish domestic controls and join the Kimberley Certification Scheme, there seems to have been wide support among members for the lifting of the diamonds embargo. It also seems that the lifting would be a necessary condition for Liberia joining the certification scheme.

The US has circulated a draft resolution to lift the embargo. Given the wide consensus among members, negotiations proceeded quickly and agreement was soon reached with relatively few additions to the original draft, such as calling on Liberia to implement the Kimberley Process’ recommendations.

UN Documents

Other Relevant Facts

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