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At Meeting in South Africa, Support for Natural Diamonds Picks Up Steam
Namibia has formally signed the Luanda Accord, while two key industry organizations pledged to join the Natural Diamond Council.
Luanda Accord signatories at a meeting held Monday in Cape Town, South Africa. Namibia has now signed the accord, while India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre have agreed to become members of the Natural Diamond Council. (Photo courtesy of NDC)
Cape Town, South Africa—Namibia, a diamond-producing nation in southern Africa, has signed the Luanda Accord, while two key industry organizations have pledged to become Natural Diamond Council members, NDC announced.
Namibia formally became a Luanda Accord signatory at a meeting held Monday in Cape Town, South Africa, joining three other African nations: Angola, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The nation’s signing of the accord follows completion of all required governmental authorizations, NDC said, and it commits Namibia to contributing financially to global category marketing for natural diamonds.
The Honorable Modestus Amutse, Namibia’s minster of Industries, Mines, and Energy, said signing the accord helps to ensure the value created by the country’s resources continues to benefit its people, now and in the future.
“Natural diamonds have helped shape Namibia’s economic story for more than a century, creating jobs, supporting communities, and contributing directly to national development,” he said.
“By joining the Luanda Accord, Namibia is affirming that producing countries have both a stake and a responsibility in telling the true story of natural diamonds.”
Also at Monday’s meeting, India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) signed a memorandum of understanding that creates a pathway for GJEPC to become an NDC member by May 1, a move that would allow it to contribute money to marketing natural diamonds ahead of the 2026 holiday season.
Membership is subject to agreement on the level and structure of an organization’s financial contribution, followed by completion of legal and regulatory requirements, NDC noted.
In addition, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), has signed a letter of intent reflecting its “continued commitment to advancing the objectives of the Luanda Accord,” a commitment that includes becoming a member of NDC by May 1.
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Namibia formally became a Luanda Accord signatory at a meeting held Monday in Cape Town, South Africa, joining three other African nations: Angola, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The nation’s signing of the accord follows completion of all required governmental authorizations, NDC said, and it commits Namibia to contributing financially to global category marketing for natural diamonds.
The Honorable Modestus Amutse, Namibia’s minster of Industries, Mines, and Energy, said signing the accord helps to ensure the value created by the country’s resources continues to benefit its people, now and in the future.
“Natural diamonds have helped shape Namibia’s economic story for more than a century, creating jobs, supporting communities, and contributing directly to national development,” he said.
“By joining the Luanda Accord, Namibia is affirming that producing countries have both a stake and a responsibility in telling the true story of natural diamonds.”
Also at Monday’s meeting, India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) signed a memorandum of understanding that creates a pathway for GJEPC to become an NDC member by May 1, a move that would allow it to contribute money to marketing natural diamonds ahead of the 2026 holiday season.
Membership is subject to agreement on the level and structure of an organization’s financial contribution, followed by completion of legal and regulatory requirements, NDC noted.
In addition, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), has signed a letter of intent reflecting its “continued commitment to advancing the objectives of the Luanda Accord,” a commitment that includes becoming a member of NDC by May 1.
The pending additions of GJEPC and DMCC as NDC members follows last month’s announcement that two Angolan companies, Endiama E.P. and Sodiam E.P., have become NDC members, immediately contributing $8 million toward natural diamond marketing.
Crafted in June 2025 at a meeting held in Luanda, Angola, the Luanda Accord is an agreement among diamond-producing countries and industry stakeholders to contribute money to NDC to market natural diamonds globally.
Monday’s gathering was the second high-level meeting of the nations and organizations that signed the accord. It took place at the African Mining Indaba, which continues through Thursday in Cape Town.
It also was the first key event for the NDC’s new CEO, Amber Pepper, who started Feb. 2.
She succeeds David Kellie, a former marketing executive at Watches of Switzerland and Ralph Lauren who had been NDC’s CEO since 2019.
Kellie announced last July that he would step down at the end of 2025.
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