Hilde Hardeman Is New KP Chair

RAPAPORT… Hilde Hardeman will be the chair of the Kimberley Process for
2018, the European Commission (EC) has confirmed.




Hardeman is head of the EC’s Service for Foreign Policy
Instruments (FPI), which manages aspects of the European Union’s diplomacy. She will take charge of the KP on behalf of the EU, this
year’s chair, an FPI spokesperson said in an email to Rapaport
News Friday.



Earlier this month, the EU said it had commenced its role as
KP chair under the leadership of Federica
Mogherini, the
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. However, while FPI falls under the authority of Mogherini, the EU’s
most senior diplomat, Hardeman will serve as chair, the spokesperson noted
Friday.



The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has been in force
since 2003, working to keep conflict diamonds out of the industry’s global
supply chain. The chairmanship of the KP switches every year, with Australia
recently ending its 2017 leadership period. India is the vice chair this year,
and will become chair in 2019.