BEIJING, Sept. 18 — Botswana has joined China and other major African diamond-producing countries in backing the Beijing Declaration on Natural Diamonds and Sustainable Development, a new framework aimed at strengthening links between Africa’s diamond industry and the Chinese consumer market.
The declaration was signed in Beijing on September 15 following discussions involving government representatives from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange and leading players in the Chinese and international diamond industry.
Botswana’s Ambassador to China, Professor Lekoko Kenosi, was among the key advocates of the declaration, alongside Shanghai Diamond Exchange President Lin Qiang and representatives of Namibia and South Africa.
The initiative seeks to deepen cooperation across the natural diamond value chain, including greater value creation in African producing countries, skills development, consumer education and stronger connections between African diamond producers and Chinese buyers.
It also calls for more transparent communication about the origin of natural diamonds and their socioeconomic contribution to producing countries.
For Botswana, one of the world’s major diamond producers, the initiative comes at a critical time as the country seeks to diversify its economy while extracting greater domestic value from its diamond resources.
Speaking at the signing, Ambassador Kenosi said Botswana viewed diamonds as much more than luxury products, pointing to their longstanding contribution to the country’s development.
“Diamonds represent far more than luxury gemstones; they are an important resource for national development,” Kenosi said.
He said diamond revenues had helped Botswana finance education, healthcare, infrastructure and livelihood opportunities, while the country had developed domestic capabilities in sorting, cutting and polishing.
Botswana now wants to move further up the value chain by building greater technological expertise and retaining more economic value from its natural resources.
Kenosi said stronger understanding among consumers of where diamonds originate and how producing countries benefit could help connect purchasing decisions in markets such as China with development in African producing countries.
“A diamond may leave Botswana’s soil, yet the human capital, enterprise development capacity and environmental stewardship its revenue creates remain at home,” he said.
The declaration places particular emphasis on China, one of the world’s important jewellery markets.
Chinese consumers are increasingly looking beyond the physical characteristics of natural diamonds to issues such as authenticity, traceable provenance, cultural significance and long-term value, according to information released following the Beijing meeting.
The Shanghai Diamond Exchange, which hosted the event, serves as a major link between the global diamond supply chain and the Chinese market, providing customs, taxation and certification services.
Shanghai Diamond Exchange President Lin Qiang said the declaration could provide a new framework for connecting African diamond-producing countries with Chinese consumers.
The agreement also seeks to support African producing countries in strengthening local value-addition capacity and skills development while promoting economic diversification.
Those objectives are particularly significant for Botswana as the country looks for new markets and investment opportunities while reducing its vulnerability to fluctuations in global diamond demand.
The declaration is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and is framed within the broader relationship between China and Africa.
Senior international diamond industry figures witnessed the signing, including De Beers Group Chief Executive Officer Al Cook, Natural Diamond Council Chief Executive Officer Amber Pepper and Emma Wade-Smith on behalf of the World Diamond Council.
Major Chinese jewellery companies represented at the meeting included Chow Tai Fook, Lao Feng Xiang, Chow Sang Sang, Lukfook Jewellery, Chow Tai Seng, CHJ Jewelry, Sino Gem and Kimberlite.
De Beers CEO Al Cook said stronger cooperation between producing countries and consumer markets could help demonstrate how revenues generated from natural diamonds contribute to communities and environments where the stones originate.
For Botswana, the Beijing Declaration also comes as the country seeks to deepen its wider economic relationship with China.
President Duma Boko earlier this year tasked Ambassador Kenosi with expanding trade opportunities in China, attracting investment and strengthening people-to-people relations, while taking advantage of the size of the Chinese market.
Botswana and China elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in 2024.
The Beijing Declaration now provides another platform through which Botswana can pursue stronger commercial links with China, this time centred on an industry that has played a defining role in the country’s economic development.