DDI to address diamond digger issues at Accra meeting

The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), which aims to address problems faced by African diamond diggers such as poverty and dangerous working conditions, will hold a conference from Oct. 27 to 30 at Accra's Golden Tulip Hotel.

The purpose of the meeting, according to a DDI statement, is to draw a cross-section of development agencies (governmental and non-governmental), industry representatives and the governments of diamond-producing countries into a partnership that can take steps to advance the DDI objectives. The meeting has been limited to 80 participants drawn from government, industry and civil society in Africa, Europe and North America.

Topics of discussion at the meeting will include money and banking issues, policy and regulatory frameworks, technical issues for miners, social and environmental issues, and security issues. Among the meeting's goals are a commitment to follow-up action by an expanded group of stakeholders; pilot projects in the thematic areas discussed; replication of existing pilot projects as more becomes known about them; additional research where needed; and the creation of new working groups for further discussion and development.

DDI's founding members are: De Beers, Global Witness, Jeffrey Davidson (Communities and Small-scale Mining Program), Partnership Africa Canada and Martin Rapaport of the Rapaport Group. Industry expert Chaim Even-Zohar of Tacy Ltd., acted as a consultant to DDI.

Partnership Africa Canada will act as conference registrar. For more information on the meeting or DDI, contact: jletourneau@pacweb.org or ismillie@magma.ca