Diamonds

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Artisanal and small-scale diamond mining is an important livelihood strategy for the rural poor in many developing countries. Artisanal miners face harsh and dangerous working conditions and, due to the informality of the sector, are often insufficiently protected by existing government frameworks and regulations. Yet, there is a growing recognition that the artisanal mining sector, if formalized and properly regulated, could significantly contribute to economic growth and poverty alleviation in many regions. Despite various initiatives to bring forward more effective development strategies for artisanal diamond mining, little consensus has yet been reached on how this could be best achieved. How can the artisanal diamond mining sector thus be transformed in order to bring about a more beneficial contribution to development?

Keynote Prof. Gavin Hilson is programme director of the MSc of Extractive Industries at the University of Surrey, UK. He is a leading expert on the environmental and social impacts of the small-scale mining sector and has published over 100 journal articles, book chapters and reports on the subject. He is also editor-in-chief of The Extractive Industries and Society journal and is an executive board member of the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), an NGO established to improve awareness and eliminate circulation of ‘conflict diamonds’. More about Gavin Hilson.

Discussant Mark Van Bockstael is a prominent gemologist and diamond expert. He chairs the Working Group Diamond Experts of the Kimberley Process as well as the Technical Committee of the World Diamond Council. He further is Chief Officer Business Intelligence at the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. He significantly contributed to the establishment of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in 2003 which aims to prevent ‘conflict diamonds’ from entering the mainstream rough diamond market. More about Mark Van Bockstael.

Moderator Sara Geenen is a lecturer in International Development, Globalization and Poverty at the Institute of Development Policy - University of Antwerp. She is also co-director of ECA - CREAC (Expertise Center for Central Africa) and project leader of the Centre d’Expertise en Gestion Minière (CEGEMI) at the Université Catholique de Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her research interests lie in the global and local development dimensions of extractivist projects, addressing questions about more socially responsible and inclusive forms of globalization. She looks at global regulatory systems and development outcomes in the South, 'linkages' and local spillovers from mining activities, and labour markets in extractive industries. More about Sara Geenen.

Tuesday 24 October​ 2017
From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
University of Antwerp - City Campus  
Rodestraat 14 - R.014 - 2000 Antwerpen (how to reach the city campus?)

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