Moscow: The Kimberley Process (KP) has elected Zimbabwe as the organization’s future leader — and the Civil Society Coalition has said it’s OK with that.

The country, which has faced criticism for alleged human-rights abuses at mines, will take over as vice chair next year, the KP announced in a communiqué following last week’s annual plenary. In accordance with the way the KP works, that means Zimbabwe will become chair for a year in 2023.

Zimbabwe won’t be the first KP chair that has problems in its own country, Shamiso Mtisi, the coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition, said on Monday. What’s more, the situation in the country is better than in the past, including at the infamous Marange mining fields, he said.
The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), the state-owned mining operation, “is trying to come up with new ways of improving the human-rights situation in Marange and also trying to adopt responsible-sourcing measures,” Mtisi commented. Being chair might even help Zimbabwe polish its practices further, he added.

Botswana will succeed Russia as chair in 2022, having been vice chair this year.