Windhoek — Namibia will assume the chair of the Kimberly Process Certificate Scheme (KPCS) next year, a process designed to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources that are free of conflict.

KPCS imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as 'conflict-free'.

Diamond Commissioner Kennedy Hamutenya announced in Windhoek on Monday during the launch of the Namibian Diamond Centenary stamp collection that Namibia would succeed India next year. Currently Namibia is the vice-chair. Namibia will be the seventh in succession to hold the chair after South Africa, Botswana, the European Commission, Russia, Canada and India.

The Kimberley Process is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds: rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.

The trade in these illicit stones has fuelled decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.

The KPCS has 48 members, representing 74 countries, with the European Union and its member states counting as an individual participant.