♦ India will assume the prestigious chairpersonship of the Kimberley Process (KP) from January 1, 2026, after being selected by the KP Plenary, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on 25 December 2025. India will take over as Vice Chair of the Kimberley Process from December 25, 2025, and will formally assume the chair in the new year. This will be the third time that India has been entrusted with leading the global initiative.

♦ The Kimberley Process is a tripartite mechanism involving governments, the international diamond industry and civil society, aimed at preventing the trade in “conflict diamonds” — rough diamonds used by rebel groups to finance armed conflicts, as defined by United Nations Security Council resolutions.

♦ The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), established pursuant to a UN resolution and operational since January 1, 2003, has evolved into a key international framework to curb the trade in conflict diamonds. The KP currently has 60 participants, with the European Union and its member states counted as a single participant, collectively accounting for more than 99 percent of global rough diamond trade.